Photographer Spencer Lowell’s monograph, Futures Past, presents 57 striking color images sprawling across nearly 100 pages. Each photograph investigates the captivating intersection of technological progress and human experience.
Exploring Technological Progress Through Varied Subjects
The monograph showcases a wide array of subjects. From aerial vistas of New York City to the intricate details of an automated cow milking device, the collection covers it all. Other highlights include a fiery tornado in a Montana lab, a futuristic auditory testing room at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, and a figure bowing to a robotic priest in Kyoto, Japan. Lowell also explores the realms of nuclear reactors, Mars rovers, pleasure robots, and supercomputers.
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Lowell, originating from Los Angeles and now based in New York City, has established himself as a photographer deeply engaged with science, technology, industry, environment, and humanity. He has collaborated with high-profile entities such as Apple, Bloomberg, National Geographic, Google, Meta, NASA, OpenAI, and TIME.
In his 20-plus-year career, Lowell considers Futures Past a culmination of his finest works. “This work does not propose conclusions. It documents a condition in which biological life and technological systems are no longer separable, yet remain unevenly aligned,” he explains.
An opening essay by climate activist and Fulbright Award-winner Daniel Sherrell adds depth to the book. Sherrell observes, “There are people in these photos, but rarely are there individuals. The technologies are the real protagonists of their own cryptic story.” The images capture these technologies within worlds they have built, both serving and excluding humanity simultaneously.
Sherrell describes Lowell’s subjects as possessing an “alien beauty,” suggesting they reveal a probable future for many.
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Despite these futuristic overtones, Lowell argues that technology does not oppose nature but extends and continues it. The robotic priest, although seemingly otherworldly, profoundly resonates with the human condition.
Futures Past is available this month, published by KGP Monolith. The standard edition is priced at $75, while limited editions with exclusive prints are $250. A premium option with four signed prints is available for $1,000. All editions are now available for preorder.
Image credits© Spencer Lowell. All photos from ‘Futures Past,’ designed by Luminosity Lab and published by KGP Monolith.
Source: petapixel.com
Frequently asked questions
What is included in Spencer Lowell’s monograph ‘Futures Past’?
Spencer Lowell’s monograph, ‘Futures Past,’ includes 57 striking color images across nearly 100 pages, capturing the intersection of technological progress and human experience through a variety of subjects.
What are some subjects explored in ‘Futures Past’?
The monograph explores subjects like a fiery tornado in a Montana lab, an auditory testing room at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a robotic priest in Kyoto, Japan, nuclear reactors, Mars rovers, pleasure robots, and supercomputers.
What editions are available for ‘Futures Past’?
‘Futures Past’ is available in a standard edition priced at $75, limited editions with exclusive prints for $250, and a premium option with four signed prints for $1,000. All editions are available for preorder.