Slide show: Brian Vanden Brink’s Iconic

Brian Vanden Brink’s ICONIC – a stunning perspective on the built landscape.

Award-winning photographer Brian Vanden Brink is keenly aware of how cultural changes bear out in the structures we build. A striking follow-up to the acclaimed Ruin, his latest book Iconic: Perspectives on the Man-Made World (Down East, August 2012, $65) represents more than 30 years of work. The theme of iconography runs throughout the book, as each structure presented is iconic either for its unique contribution to the field of architecture or for its cultural significance. “He sees the raw bones of human intent and waits for the right moment to capture the format beauty of a building beyond its function.”

Vanden Brink has traveled the country widely, and photographed in places from Coney Island to Cairo, Illinois, and Las Vegas to Limestone, Maine. His subject range includes prison cells, grain silos, churches, hot-dog shacks, and the ubiquitous empty stretch of road vanishing over the horizon. The photographs are paired with short captions explaining both the architectural importance and the image’s personal meaning to Vanden Brink. He is passionately interested in American history and Americana and, while several photographs were taken in other countries, the main thrust of the book is America.

Brian Vanden Brink is one of the most sought after architectural photographers in the country. His work has been widely featured in such publications as Architectural Digest, Architectural Record, Metropolitan Home, Coastal Living, Cottage Living, The New York Times Magazine, Old House Journal, Custom Home, Yankee, and Down East. His photographs have also been the subjects of four books, At Home in Maine, At Home by the Sea, Porch, and the monograph Ruin. Iconic represents the very best of his work in stunning color and black-and-white images. He lives in Camden, Maine, with his wife Kathleen.

To see more of brian’s work, please visit his website www.brianvandenbrink.com