Nicholas Sack, Photographer Of The City
We are delighted to announce that our friends at Hoxton Minipress have recently published an elegant slim volume of the photography of Nicholas Sack entitled LOST IN THE CITY
“I’ve done a lot of loitering on street corners,” Nicholas Sack confessed to me shamelessly, when I quizzed him about his curious pictures of the workers in the City of London, “it might take several visits to the same spot for the right arrangement of people to form in the viewfinder.”
Nicholas’ photographs brilliantly capture the strange dynamic which exists upon the pavements of the City in contrast to the narrow streets of the East End, where people jostle each other as they wander through the crowded markets. In the City, pedestrians maintain a respectful distance as they walk and the overbearing corporate architecture creates tense spaces which are not designed for lingering. “The smart and unshowy attire of office workers appeals to my love of order,” Nicholas admitted to me, revealing his equivocation on the subject, “yet the human figure can look physically rather absurd, especially when walking – Lowry knew that, and so did John Cleese.”
Working on film and framing his subjects immaculately, Nicholas uses photography to expose the spatial dynamics of power with humour and sardonic poetry. “Over many years of stalking the streets, I have learned how to lift things out of the ordinary.” he confided to me – exercising an anthropologist’s scrutiny upon the ways of that mysterious tribe which inhabits the Square Mile.
Photographs copyright © Nicholas Sack
Click here to buy a copy of LOST IN THE CITY by Nicholas Sack direct from Hoxton Minipress
What fantastic and almost surreal photos, thanks for sharing. Valerie
Gentle Author,
You are starting to reveal your personal persuasions far too easily: “…the overbearing corporate architecture creates tense spaces which are not designed for lingering…”.
I think I’m going to have to put a pound into a piggy bank for each time you use the two words overbearing and corporate when referring to the City in your blogs and some good might result. I might even be able to raise funds for a beer or two at a spot in the City where I can linger!
I’m not too sure either about the “mysterious tribe” inhabiting the square mile. I appreciate the artistic use of adjective but a disproportionate chunk of workers are probably East Londoners, the rest Home Counties. Mysterious tribe almost confers a sense that they are unusual,perhaps not understood and a people apart whereas I’d say the exact opposite is more likely to be true!
Best regards
Do so admire and enjoy Nicholas’s perceptive (and selective) vision. Congratulations on the new book!
All those men with their hands in their pockets!
What does it do to the line of their suits? And weren’t they told not to keep their hands in said pockets when they were boys? There are such things as gloves after all.
What a wonderful group of photos, with an fresh POV for city photos. These are witty and accessible, a far cry from all the street photography of the last 30-40 years, the Garry Winogrand grab shots and all.
Bravo, Nicholas Sack!!
Sally Baldwin
I love these unreal, subtle, absurd photos. City architecture is so horrid, but its scale is fascinating and threatening at the same time.
They very much remind me of architect plan drawings or scale models with the little railway figure people dotting around.
All looks a bit lonely and mad.
Not so very long ago all of these men would have been wearing a bowler hat, and would have been carrying a briefcase and an umbrella!!
I know there are women in these photos but they do show how the city is very masculine world. An excellent mix of documentary and stylish composition.