Karl Hab recently introduced his new book of photographs, 24H PARIS, which completes a trilogy following 24H Hong Kong and 24H Los Angeles. A certified aeronautics engineer and photographer focused on international fashion and street culture, Hab’s latest body of work presents thoughtful snapshots of his home city through his adroit gaze, captured and displayed chronologically over a period of 24 hours.
The pages of the book have not been numbered, but instead, are each marked with a time. As the reader progresses through the book, each page turned further awakens an awareness of Hab’s careful use of the hour and lighting. Compelling imagery of architecture and landscape alike—sometimes inhabited by humans, though they are never fully the subject of focus—become works of art that hold captive the viewer’s attention, urging them to soak in every detail of the compositions.
Image from Karl Hab’s “24H PARIS,” courtesy of the artist.
While many images can be taken at face value—a sporting field, a boat on the Seine, rows of buildings from high-above vantage points—others have been zoomed in on partial details of structures almost to an abstracted effect, requiring a squint of the eyes and a tilt of the head to make out what the full object in question might be. Even though the artist’s compositions vary, from stone statues and certain recognizable landmarks to the blur of a taxi light or a pair of feet in motion (à la Hab’s recent publication Heels) each possesses certain tranquility that makes 24-hours in Paris seem like a waking fantasy.
24H PARIS, along with Hab’s other books, can be purchased now on the artist’s website.
Image from Karl Hab’s “24H PARIS,” courtesy of the artist.
Image from Karl Hab’s “24H PARIS,” courtesy of the artist.
Image from Karl Hab’s “24H PARIS,” courtesy of the artist.
