Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison

"My photographs tell stories of loss, human struggle, and personal exploration within landscapes scarred by technology and over-use…. [I] strive to metaphorically and poetically link laborious actions, idiosyncratic rituals and strangely crude machines into tales about our modern experience."- Robert ParkeHarrison.

I truly admire the work of Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison. The fact that they merge photography with both sculpture and painting is ingenious in my opinion. This couple's photography has a clear and valid statement just waiting to be absorbed by the masses. The following work is from "Architect's Brother"; check out their blog, ParkeHarrison, to see work from "Gray Dawn" and "Counterpoint" as well.

This first image, "Forestbed", depicts a man sleeping on a mattress held up by branches. I feel as though this image is meant to show the relationship between man and nature. The composition is impeccable in the sense that your eye is constantly drawn up towards the sleeping man. My theory on how this image was achieved is as follows: the mattress is attached to the wall behind the man which is painted over on the image to appear as though it is an empty/barren plain and the rest is all prop. The realistic appearance of the paint truly adds to the surreal quality of this image.

"Suspension" is my favorite image in the "Architect's Brother" series. The repetition of the clouds allows the eye to move slowly into the background, causing the viewer to become absorbed with the image's surreal quality. The man is desperately attempting to tie down these clouds, possibly trying to replenish the almost barren plains depicted. I believe this image was achieved through mostly painting the photograph. It looks to me that the man, rope and hills are the only real part of the image. The background along with the clouds and ropes are most likely painted. The paint is, once again, so realistic that it creates this intense surreal quality.

This last image, "Flying Lesson", can be seen in two ways: either the man is teaching these birds how to fly, or the birds are teaching the man. I'm not 100% sure but I see it as the first option. I believe this image was achieved mostly through sculpture. The background may have been painted but not necessarily. Your eye is constantly drawn up through either of the two groups of birds while the bird in the cage acts as a steady anchor that always brings you back. The repetition is also key in keeping the viewer interested.