Late Modernism Through the Lens of Wayne Thom Conversation@PAM

Conversation@PAM: Exploring Late Modernism Through the Lens of Wayne Thom

Join renowned architectural photographer Wayne Thom as he shares recollections of his illustrious career spanning over 50 years.

This conversation will be moderated by Dr. Emily Bills, guest curator of the exhibition After Modernism: Through the Lens of Wayne Thom and author of the book “Wayne Thom: Photographing the Late Modern.” Together they will discuss his early beginnings and stories of how he captured the spectacular skyscrapers of downtown Los Angeles.

Copies of the catalogue, 'Wayne Thom: Photographing the Late Modern' will be available for sale at the Shop@PAM following the program. Please reserve your book now by emailing shop@pam.usc.edu.

Capacity is limited and protocols will be implemented for the health and safety of all guests and staff.

This program is free.. Reservations are required.

More about the exhibition:

Wayne Thom is one of the leading architectural photographers of our time. Over the course of his 50-year career, which stretched from 1968 – 2015, he photographed more than 2,600 projects across the Western United States, Hawaii, and Southeast Asia. He was especially prolific in Southern California, where he based his practice, and where he became the preferred photographer for the region’s leading firms.

The exhibition showcases photographs from USC Libraries’ Wayne Thom Photography Collection, which the university acquired in 2015 and holds over 250,000 images and thousands of pages of other materials. The exhibition also features a digital interactive component that allows visitors to explore materials in the Wayne Thom Photography Collection. Titled “Wayne Thom 50/50” in reference to 50 standout projects completed over the course of his 50-year career, the interactive component emphasizes his breadth of practice that stretches beyond the Late Modern period.

This extensive visual record makes Wayne Thom one of the most important contributors to architecture culture in the post-WWII period.

USC PAM Public Programs are made possible by individual and foundation support. To ensure free/low-cost programming, we suggest a donation of $10. All donations go directly to USC PAM public programs. Thank you for helping us keep art programming accessible to all. Please donate here

Covid Safety Protocols:

We strongly recommend wearing a mask covering the nose and mouth for all visitors (2+) regardless of vaccination status while indoors.

Please practice social distancing from others not in your party.

Please stay home if you are feeling ill or have been exposed to COVID-19.

Please note the above is subject to change in accordance with Los Angeles County, City of Pasadena and USC Health guidelines.