In his book of photos, The Raw and the Cooked, Peter Bialobrzeski sets forth the essence of his observations from his unique series of photos about the development of Asian mega-cities (Neon Tigers, Lost in Transition) and their slums (Case Study Homes). Starting with the simplest, homemade vernacular architecture, based on human proportions and made with found construction materials, his photos range as far as the exorbitant planned cities of glass, steel, and concrete. Buildings rise higher and higher into the sky, more and more resources are wasted, the new unmercifully shoves aside the old. Seductively beautiful tableaux from fourteen different countries depict the kind of progress that triggers a sense of anxiety and trepidation. Where is all of this leading?
