Photography: Romain Jacquet-Lagrèze

From distance Hong Kong is an impressive city.  Think of the classic skyline, I.M. Pei's Bank of China, the steep, dense jungle behind, framing the very dense concrete jungle of the water front.  Once you draw nearer though things start losing its luster.  The saying "nice from far, but far from nice" comes to mind.  Old decrepit buildings, with laundry hanging out of every window, old air con units and pipes snaking through building facades, and huge glaring neon signs in every colour and signs promoting random buildings.  I personally have never perceived these signs to be a positive aesthetic influence on this city.. until I saw the pictures below by Romain Jacquet-Lagreze.  There is something very alluring and atmospheric about his pictures, and I think that from now on when I see them I will look at them differently.  And isn't that the role of a great artist?  To make you look at something common place, that you see every day, from a different angle?