Hugh Ferriss mastered the medium of shadow and light, molding form in a way that truly captures the spirit of place and being. His massing of form frequently overburdens the viewer and creates an ominous weight of reality in his drawings. Darkness and light collide in manners that define and shape space as well as create mystery.
Mystery invites exploration.
But perhaps more than anything else, the human scale is what becomes particularly poignant in Ferriss' renderings. Yet we can relate to those individuals in his works, their personal perspective of the world around them becomes ours. The striking disparity of towering structures, the megaliths of our times, and the detail of personal space, is what provides this drama of place. We can relate to this drama, living vicariously in a world we may never experience, and understand it implicitly. The intersection of the 'big idea' and a singular perspective of thought are what balance the realms of design in Ferriss' renderings.