CPH (Copenhagen. This image appeared in Broad Street 1.2, “Hunt, Gather”).
Designer and artist Lauren O’Neill uses modern technology to create art out of everyday tools of modern life: Google, satellite imagery, and air travel. Her Tumblr blog, Holding Pattern, gathers bird’s-eye views of airports culled from Google Earth, revealing their abstract, sometimes breathtaking beauty. It’s drawn praise from Wired and the UK’s The Independent newspaper, among others; one of the images, of Copenhagen’s airport, ran in Broad Street’s “Hunt, Gather” issue.
O’Neill, a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, lives in Brooklyn and works as a designer, most prominently as a senior associate designer for Martha Stewart Weddings magazine. She agreed to answer questions from Broad Street’s Hannah Morgan about her work on the Holding Pattern series.
BROAD STREET: On your blog Noted, you write: “I love the idea of circling above an airport waiting to land. I feel like that mirrors my process of searching for + cropping the right shot.” While you’re “circling above an airport,” how do you decide where to land/crop? Do you have anything specific in mind that you are looking for, such as symmetry, or are you guided by an aesthetic instinct?
LAUREN O’NEILL: I start by hovering over the airport, zooming in and out to see what resonates with me. I’ve started to notice patterns between airport planning and therefore look for little characteristics or interesting shapes that define each city.
Sometimes I’ll find a new marking that I haven’t seen before + focus on capturing that element. With my background in graphic design, I’m really drawn to the patterns, linework, and typography on the tarmac—especially as it contrasts with the geography. The negative forms created by the taxiways also allow for graphic compositions. Many times, I use landmarks or other topographical details to add character to the crop.
I also love the personality of the planes; their organization, movement, and placement can add a lot of character to the image.
Wanderlust has often inspired a Holding Pattern spree. When I’m craving an escape, I jump on Google Maps and get lost in the beautiful aerial imagery. Hours can fly by as I zoom from airport to airport capturing interesting compositions.
You also mention on your blog that the “Holding Pattern” project was something you stumbled into while experiencing a creative block. Does having a serendipitous beginning to a project influence the way you carry out the work, as opposed to how you go about your work when you’ve had more of a planning period?
Since this is just a fun, simple personal project, I use it as a way to reset + pull back from other client projects/work. I get lost in the imagery and it gives me a fresh perspective on other things I’m working on. These days, my projects are so varied that it’s hard to compare apples to apples, but I will say that the scope of the project often determines the amount of planning for me. Many projects often have serendipitous beginnings—an overhead conversation gives you a spark of an idea or casual drinks with an old friend leads to a bigger project. To me, as a designer, this is why you must always keep your eyes + ears open—you never know when inspiration will strike. In the case of Holding Pattern, it was somewhere between a layover and a creative block.
The series stands out to me because it so explicitly demonstrates what all art is to an extent: a thoughtful curation of what’s already there. Do you have any plans to do more creative work like this in the future, taking something that is “given” and restricting it in a way that presents it anew?
I agree—to some degree everything is a remix of what’s existing, it’s just through a new frame or filter. I work as an art director + designer, and most of my work these days are spent on the editorial side of things. Whether at a magazine or a brand, I bring together different creatives to provide a new point of view on what’s given. My job falls to choosing the right photographer, the right lighting, the right products to tell a particular story.
Are there any particular shots you would like us to include?
A few of my favorites include MAD, CPH, LUX, PER, and ORD. Thanks so much for the lovely feature—and the magazines looked great, thanks so much for sending those along!
