It's a voyeur's dream: photographer Mark Cowper has created a series of portraits of people in their homes. The catch? Each person is a resident in a single high rise with identical units. The series offers a glimpse of what different people have done with the same layout and bones (more photos after the jump).
Ethelburga Tower is Cowper's own building, and his subjects are also his neighbors. He knocked on doors and was welcomed in many cases to take pictures on the spot, which yielded candid observations on how people actually use their space, even how it gets messy.
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Comments (13)
very cool. reminds me of this kids book I had where you could flip a page and see the insides of a building and what everyone was doing
I too am always fascinated by seeing what the neighbors in my building have done (or not) with their spaces...
My apartment building is right across the street from a building which although they have changed the exterior seems to have the exact same layouts as my building, which is floor to ceiling glass windows/doors leading out onto patios. Its fun to sit out there and look through peoples windows and see the variety of ways people have dressed up the spaces.
It also keeps me more conscience about my space, im sure they look this way too!
The gold inspired room reminds me of the inside of Jeannie's Bottle. I really like it.....
I'm always intrigued how different people will decorate the same space.
I checked out the series of 6 pictures from the showing...oh my gosh is all I can say about the messy ones.
I live in a development of tract houses and it is fun to go into the same model in which we live to see what others have done with the space. I'm usually overcome by all the stuff others have tried to jam into this very small space that these homes occupy. I believe in small spaces you must constantly prune.
great idea. ditto bepsf...I am always trying to look into my neighbors windows.
ummm......rearwindow - the binoculars (and grace kelley of course) Very Fun!
Juice, that is what I loved about the Richard Scarry books.
I LOVE this.
I live in a complex of identical boring studio boxes, with inhabitants from college age to fortysomething. I am always fascinated by how people live in them. To date, I've never seen one besides mine that has a dining table. Everyone else uses counter stools or eats at their couch or desk.
This is such a great post. Awesome scoop, author. :)
I have often wondered how people did their units up, or not as well in comparison to mine.
One thing I've noticed is that not every unit is of the same condition. In my current building, some units have yellow bathroom fixtures, some like mine blue, some, if not all of then mow have newer stoves but one unit still had its green drop in from when the building was built in 1960, complete w/ push button stove controls on the wall.
When I rented my studio apartment years ago, one unit I looked at had it's original subway tiles in the bathroom, but the unit I ended up renting had this hideous plastic surround that was beige w/ a brown scene of some sort but the mixing valves and tub and toilet were original to the building when built in the mid to late 20's, the vanity and mirror and light, however had been replaced sometime in the last 35 years or so.
Still, love this concept.
If my place looked as messy as some of these do, no way would I let anyone photograph it and have it published!