New book looks at UC in a photographic perspective

Robert Flischel believes for an urban school the University of Cincinnati is at the front of the class.

“It is not within the leafy confines of some other picturesque universities, but UC does possess a remarkable aesthetic and experience,” Flischel, proprietor of Robert A. Flischel Photography located in Mariemont, said.

With what he is most impressed and interested is the university’s architecture. That is why he has spent the past three years studying, visually breaking down and taking photos of 18 major buildings and sets of buildings that comprise the university.

The finished result will be a photography book on the old and new architecture of UC, a “… photographic portrait of the whole university with historical information throughout.

“I want to engage the viewer in what is really going on there,” Flischel said, “while following the administration’s mission that UC is an environmentally-friendly place of study.”

Flischel has already completed a photography book on the architecture of the Cincinnati city school buildings, a system that used to include the university. He felt now was the opportune time to complete the project.

So he approached UC officials three years ago to ask permission to conduct the project and has since been visiting the campus, looking at each building in its entirety, breaking each building down into its many details, studying light angles and reflection and determining points of perspective.

Three years later and a studio filled with beautiful pictures of UC, Flischel believes it is important for people to realize that if they just drive around the school they will not be able to experience what the architects have been able to successfully accomplish, “… which is an effort to unify the space and buildings and mix a lot of styles of architecture.

“People really need to walk throughout the campus,” he said.

Flischel is working with writer Jayne Merkle, who is writing the architectural introductions for each chapter in the book, and Kevin Grace, University of Cincinnati archivist, who is writing historical sidebars in the book.

A chapter of the book can be viewed by visiting www.robertflischel.com