Visiting artist speaks about his 19th century photography
Picture a man wearing a black suit carrying a wooden ladder and a tin bucket preparing to clean a cloud. Sounds odd?
That’s what type of obscure black and white images photographer Robert ParkeHarrison creates.
ParkeHarrison spoke and presented a slideshow of his work at the Eccles Conference Center on Monday night as part of the Visiting Artist Program. About 300 people filled the conference center to see the photographer.
ParkeHarrison’s images are all black and white with a musty, old-fashioned look.
“I was really drawn to the 19th century photographs,” he said.
His photos are also very surreal. In many of his pictures a man is portrayed (usually himself) undertaking bizarre experiments with nature. The man might be trying to make rain with an elaborate contraption of wood and wires or sewing a crack in the earth or attempting to fly with birds tied to each wrist.
“I was a participant and a maker,” he said.
ParkeHarrison said he purposely makes the picture look old and worn, by adding more shades and using varnish. He also said he doesn’t use frames, but spreads the photos on wood or canvas.
“I started to treat the photograph like a painting,” he said.
On top of being black and white, pictures often show dark and lifeless images. The branches of trees never have leaves and he likes to picture dry soil.
“I like to create spaces that were not otherwise like that,” he said.
Some of his more recent images deal more with predicting an environmentally ruined future, such as his picture of the “Breathing Machine” or “Airway.”
ParkeHarrison said these images are not just his ideas. Most of his work is a collaboration with his wife, Shana. She normally lectures with him, but could not make it Monday night.
ParkeHarrison said the partnership helps create better ideas. He said he likes to tell a straightforward story in the images and his wife likes to be more ambiguous.
“It’s two different sensibilities that come together,” he said.
It takes about a month for the couple to finish one image, he said.
Grant Keaton, an undeclared freshman, said he enjoyed the presentation but thought the art was strange.
“It’s not something I would decorate my house with,” Keaton said. “It’s kind of scary and depressing and weird.”
Angelicha Samuel, a senior majoring in art history, said the images were interesting.
“I thought his work was mystic and provocative,” she said.
For students interested in seeing ParkeHarrison’s work, go to www.parkeharrison.com.
Sara Northerner, head of the photography program and associate professor of art, hosted the lecture. This was the second lecture of the year for the program. More people attended this than the first lecture, she said.
The Visiting Artist Program will feature an art historian in November and other artists in the future.
-joelfeathers@cc.usu.edu