Leise Formen

For years, American artist Jon Naiman has been photographing the work of E2A Architects Zürich, established in 2001 by the brothers Piet and Wim Eckert, producing a striking series of black-and-white photographs of the firm’s architectural models that capture the full range of its work across public buildings and housing, exhibition design, and industrial architecture.

Leise Formen collects Naiman’s previously unpublished photographs. Alternating between abstract and perfectly focused depictions of these highly detailed forms, Naiman’s photographs are remarkable for their ability to portray urban space rather than mere miniatures, prompting reflection on how perception of space is constituted in an image. Concluding the book is an essay by British neurobiologist Semir Zeki that sheds light on the neurobiological foundations of perception.

Beautifully produced with more than fifty photographs—many reproduced as full pages or spreads—the book will appeal equally to those interested in photography, architecture, and design.