The Architect’s Brother
These images are part of a traveling solo exhibition titled The Architect’s Brother, created by artists Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison. These images have been around for over ten years, but this is the first time I’ve stumbled across them by way of Mickael Ivorra. From the Environmental Graffiti blog:
Could fixing clouds, pollinating a barren earth, making wind and patching up the sky ever be turned into almost humorous subjects? In “The Architect’s Brother,” a series of 42 photographic images by Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison, we follow a determined and optimistic Everyman who does just that – and rewards viewers with new details the longer they look.
The ParkeHarrisons are a husband-and-wife team whose photographic work, “The Architect’s Brother” is concerned with the state and possible fate of the Earth. The exhibition has travelled from 2002 to 2007 through the United States, Canada and Germany and is probably the artists’ most publicized work. According to its official description, ParkeHarrison “conjures a destiny in which humankind’s overuse of the land has led to a spent and abandoned environment, inhabited by one indefatigable spirit (portrayed by ParkeHarrison).”
More images can be seen here and here. A hardcover book of photos is available on Amazon. More images, after the jump!
Some of the images remind me of a striking shot from the never-completed Worst Case Scenario, a Dutch Horror film in which zombie Nazis descend into the Netherlands on decrepit steampunk air balloons. Click here for the trailer. It’s… amazing.
December 2nd, 2010 at 4:38 am
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by coilhouse, Nikolina Kujaca. Nikolina Kujaca said: RT @coilhouse: New blog post: The Architect's Brother http://coilhouse.net/2010/12/the-architects-brother/ […]
December 2nd, 2010 at 9:22 am
oooo!! I saw these in an exhibition in Boston yeaaaaaaarrrrrrs ago. I love their work.
December 2nd, 2010 at 11:35 am
I own one of his books and it’s amazing. More amazing though are these pieces in person. Most of the images were no smaller than 5 feet. So they are giant and amazing. You can really get lost in them. The real beauty about his images is that they are done all by hand. Not composed in photoshop or by any digital means. They use film and the technique of paper negative. All in the dark room.
December 2nd, 2010 at 2:11 pm
I first saw his work about 10 years ago, around the same time I saw him give a talk at my college (which he attended for a while). It’s beautiful and even better if you have a chance to see the pieces in person. They’re actually quite large and richly textured.
December 2nd, 2010 at 4:34 pm
ooo.. I love this. Thanks for sharing!
December 2nd, 2010 at 5:08 pm
gorgeous. these photos tickle my brain, like a half-remembered dream.
also, I’m delighted to see him profiled here cos I’ve had this photo on my hard drive for at least a year: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4067/4436592806_6a32cf1377.jpg
December 3rd, 2010 at 9:26 am
My jaw is still on the floor. I hadn’t seen these before, absolutely astonishing!
December 4th, 2010 at 11:07 am
Ooh, thanks for reminding me of their work! I first saw it many years ago, and now get to rediscover them.
December 4th, 2010 at 4:44 pm
These are pure genius
December 7th, 2010 at 5:23 pm
Oh yeah! I was gonna buy that book last year at the Strand! Very nifty images!
December 10th, 2010 at 8:33 am
I want to go to the places in those images so badly.
December 11th, 2010 at 9:46 am
These images are absolutely stunning! This is going on my Xmas Wish List. Thanks for the article and sharing this fantastic artwork. I love “Edison’s Light”!
August 8th, 2011 at 1:35 pm
[…] attention months ago by the beautiful people at Coilhouse. You can read Nadya Lev’s post here. I thought I would add my twopence anyway. More pics after the […]