Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison, The Guardian, 2003, photogravure, 24" x 20", lent courtesy of the artist.
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
Shana and Robert ParkeHarrison are a husband and wife team that comment on the environment, it's fragility, and humanities pompous destruction of it. They try to make their work look like a modern mythology.
Evaluate their success rate giving details to justify your opinion. Feel free to rebut the opinions of your classmates -kindly.
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You can tell that the photo has to deal with human and nature struggle... because maybe there are so much problems that it could grow the trunk and the branches... are the problems that branch out from the root problem.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that he is wearing a suit because of the setting behind and around him, he seems to be in the middle of nowhere. I feel like he has worked very much throughout his life to get to where he is because hes obviously got alot on his shoulders, may it be branches, stress or anything else.
ReplyDeleteMike Stevens.
The photograph is engaging because it seems like the man is trying to fly away from the baron wasteland he is trapped in.
ReplyDeleteOllie Maden
I think that the struggle this man is feelingis emmulated in his facial expressions. You can definitely tell that he is attempting to relieve himself from the pain that he is feeling.
ReplyDeleteSarah Haworth
I think it's interesting that he is a barren wasteland that looks like it used to be filled with trees. I think this photo is telling a story about a man that destroyed the forests in an attempt to better himself (longer legs, wings to fly with) however he is having trouble benefitting from his destruction as seen by the emotion on his face.
ReplyDeleteMatt Smith
I believe the photograph is an excellent example of man vs himself. The two poles in which he is balancing, demonstrates the fragile balance in life that he is struggling with. The wings represent his attempts to become free from his struggles.
ReplyDeleteKristen Wharin
the photograph shows a struggle between man and nature. the wings can represent his struggle to become free. Also the facial expression on the man's face shows a lot of thought and concentration. I think the photo represents his struggle to balance his life.
ReplyDeleteHaley Currie
I think that the man is trying to get away from all his struggles and from what he is leaving behind. His facial expressions show that he is thinking of what he is going to do next.
ReplyDeleteJessica Ranney
He looks like he has just set up his wings and legs, now hes just looking at where to walk or fly. he is stepping or flying over the tree branches and debris to get to somewhere less depressing. He looks ready to go.
ReplyDeleteDerek Z
As men tear down the trees for civilization to spread, he seems to be building up his own. he himself almost looks to be part of a tree, as if those branches were his own and the stilts his trunk; all perched precariously in a land where no trees seem to go untouched.
ReplyDelete-Megan Mitchell
Is there any significance to to mans body position? He looks like he's jumping, but he's not looking forward, he's looking down. Does this mean he accepts his fate?
ReplyDeleteI think that judging by the the emotion on his face and his obviously lack of optimism the man is accepting his fate which is most likely death.
ReplyDeleteMatt Smith
What I like most about this photograph is the way the subject moves your eyes across the frame from the direct centre of the subject due to the dark colour of his jacket, and then down along his arms to where he is looking. The angle of the subject creates depth, inviting your eyes to look behind the subject and really get a full feel of the picture as a whole.
ReplyDeleteKristen Wharin
The way that he is standing on the silts looks kind of precarious, as though he might fall. He is leaning to one side and looking a the ground. Maybe it means that the relation between humans and nature is failing, which can also be seen by all the chopped down trees in the background.
ReplyDeleteAlexa Roeper
I think that this photograph symbolises the last bird left in a wasteland after all of its trees have been cut down. He kinda looks unsure of what he's going to do next, whether he is going to stay in the deserted land or move on to something better.
ReplyDeleteBecca Samsworth
Matt, maybe the man is just concentrated, he is looking where to take his first step. he is hunched over and ready to take his first step, not accepting death.
ReplyDeleteDerek Z
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ReplyDeleteFrom what i can see in this photo it looks as if he has a lot of stress building up on his shoulders. And because he is wearing a suit it looks like he is a wealthy person but just may have problems with his life because of work or his family.
ReplyDeleteDerek, I agree that he is definitely taking his first step and is ready to do so, however, I think he has come to a realization that he has caused so much destruction and hasn't created a sufficient benefit (fragile legs, fragile wings). He will try to fly and take his steps but he knows that the chances are he will collapse and die.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMatt, is death not too presumptuous to assume? It is a little harsh to think of... the symbolism isn't strong enough.
ReplyDeleteKristen W
The branches making his wings and the fact that he's standing on stilts all makes him look taller and bigger than he actually is. It makes him look more intimidating. From the name, The Guardian, you get the idea that his job was to protect the forest. Obviously, he failed. The way he is "looking to make his first step" might be him trying to figure out how to recover from this failure.
ReplyDeleteALexa Roeper
sorry i reposted, i forgot to put my name
I agree with Kristen. I don't think that he is going die if he gets off the tree stump.I think he looks almost scared to step off the stump, and he's unsure of his actions.
ReplyDeleteBecca Samsworth
The photo does not represent a mans want to fly or be larger. But more to heal the damage that he has caused to the landscape of the world. The man does not have stilts and wings, but more of a tree trunk and branches. This man feels bad about what he has done to the environment and is trying to fix it by making a tree. Death is not the outcome that is being expressed through this photo, its mans desire in healing what he has done, you can see by the expression on his face that he is being very unsuccessful in his attempts.
ReplyDeleteDerek Z
I agree with Alexa, the man looks like he is looking down on the forest that he was once trying to protect. He looks sad maybe because the forest is totally gone and he failed.
ReplyDeleteDo you think the state of the forest is his fault, or someone elses?
Personally I agree with Derek, but to answer Chelsea's question. I believe that it is all of man kinds fault and that the subject himself could be a symbolism of all of man kind
ReplyDeleteit looks like the fault of man kind, but this man is taking responsibility for the actions of everyone, he feels bad about what has been done and is trying to re build the forest. his face also looks like he is sad that he is alone, he may be successful in fixing one tree but all the empty space that he sees makes him sad because no-one is helping him, thats why he is looking down and hunched over, he doesnt like the barren landscape
ReplyDeleteDerek Z
I agree with the people that stated that he looks like he was going to jump, and that his emotion on his face looks like he is planning his jump.
ReplyDeleteSamantha P
I believe that the photo is showing the unstableness of the man (the thin sticks he is on) and the fact that he is trying to escape (the wings he is attempting to fly away with).
ReplyDeleteI agree with Becca's comment that it looks like the fault of man kind. I also feel that he could be worried about the things that he will be facing, but he may be at peace with it.
ReplyDeletei feel like the photo is expressing mans want for personal gain through the destruction of nature.
ReplyDelete-Willem Sande
When you look at the photo, you can understand that the person in the tree is having problems. One because the tree hardly looks like he can hold his weight, and two simply because he looks like he's trying to get out. He seems tangled and he doesn't know how to escape. These points can mean anything and can be related to anything in life. Its hard to pinpoint, but i don't think it has anything to do with the 'well' being of the environment. Its something more meaningful.... maybe he just feels lost, and he wants to escape but cant find a way?
ReplyDeleteSam B.
To Dereks previous post into perspective, I think this photo is about how big logging companies cut down acres of forest. The branches that are coming out of the man represent how logging negatively affects the world.
ReplyDeleteDaniella
i agree with Willem's comment. The man's stilts are trying to add personal growth through the destructive nature
ReplyDelete-Haley Currie
This picture makes me think this man is trying to fly. A man trying to do the impossible, and is struggling while doing so. The wooden, wobbly stilts represents how he is feeling at the attempt of the impossible. I think it represents the failures and let downs in life.
ReplyDeleteTess Sprawson
At the same time i agree with Derek when he says that it is a man trying to come to peace with the destruction he has caused. I believe the man has realized his mistakes and is attempting to make himself feel better by making the creation of a tree from a tree that had recently been chopped down.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that the man is wearing a suit makes this photo even more interesting. To me it represents that sometimes, even the most well groomed, put together people are the ones who are truly struggling and trying to escape themselves.
ReplyDeleteTo me, it seems like he could be in an executive position for a logging company or some sort of thing like that. I feel like he is full of regret and he resents himself for his unthoughtful actions. Now, with this new realization of his he is feeling more wieght of the guilt than others. Which is not necessarelly a bad thing either, but now he must live with his actions.
ReplyDeleteAt a first glance this photograph’s meaning leans towards imperfection. The background is made up of dead and destroyed trees, in other words meaningless life. Then when you move to the centre of the photograph, the man’s stilts look like the bottom of a weakened tree. His upper body posture resembles fragile innocence. To conclude, I think the meaning behind this picture is that he wants to get away, but doesn’t have the confidence or strength to lift up and go.
ReplyDelete- Julia El-Safty
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ReplyDeletefor the people that think the man is going to jump i don't think thats correct because he would not be able to jump off the stilts that he is standing on because they are attached to his feet.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first looked at this photograph, the first thought that popped into my head was that he looks very stressed and focused. It looks like he has a lot of weight that’s he’s carrying on his back that he wants to go away because it keeps holding him back. The emotion on his face looks like he’s angry or confused as to what to do. The branches resemble wings to peruse his meaning in life.
ReplyDeleteby:Rachel Obuch
He looks focused on what he's doing,and is deciding on wheather to take the next step.
ReplyDeleteTheres a point thats trying to be portrayed, just like any picture, its not easy to understand, and its up to anyones imagination to decipher the 'code' of the picture. I still don't think it has anything to do with a logging company. I feel thats to direct. In my mind it seems like there are bigger problems at play, and 'logging' companies are the last thing on him mind.
ReplyDeleteI think that this photograph symbolizes that the man is the forest and he is slowly being destroyed just like the wasteland he is in.
ReplyDeleteI agree with cole that he is trying to escape. He is determined and going for a running start to get away. It looks to me like he is attempting at something he knows will not work, and the unstableness of the stilts represents these feelings.
ReplyDeleteTess Sprawson
I agree with Sam in the point that there may not be one single meaning to the photo. Robert ParkeHarrison (the photographer) might have wanted the viewer to interpret the photograph in whatever way they wanted instead of him forcing one exclusive meaning on his work.
ReplyDeleteOllie Maden
I agree with cole i dont think the man is trying to jump because he is not going anywhere because he is wearing stilts.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the comments about the man trying to escape. To me, it looks like he's trying to escape from the contraption he created. Maybe he built it with the intention of using it to fly away, but he realized the wings were broken. Now he's bound to his failures and is realizing that there is no way out.
ReplyDeleteellen smith.
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ReplyDeleteHe is wearing a business coat which makes me think he is in development. He is trying to save the forests but the only problem is that he can’t stop growth, same with over populations and clear cutting. The dark gives him a sad feeling , but you can see on his face that he is trying his hardest. The fog gives the illusion that it continues, but you never know, there could be hope just behind the fog
ReplyDeleteZackory, DIcaro
I think this photo means that we are 'one' with nature in a way. We are kind of like a body, the body relies on it's different parts to function, if one starts failing, the body will start failing (varying degrees). So in this case, the forest being cut down, we have lost something that is essential for us, we are one and need each part to progress, etc.
ReplyDelete- Chelsea Knobbs
Why are there only three stumps in the whole photo? The rest is just broken down branches and twig’s.
ReplyDeleteZackory, DiCaro
I agree with Alexa when she sayed that the relation between human and nature is failing. The man looks stressed and worried about what has happened, so he is trying to help rebuild what has been destroyed.
ReplyDeletei think that this is a struggle between human and nature. i agree with ollie, i think he is struggling with the realitry oh what has happened and he is trying to get away from it all
ReplyDeleteSarah J
Maybe by being on stilts and imatating a tree with the branches on him, he is trying to say that if the tree wasn't cut down then it would have grown that tall or even taller by now?
ReplyDeleteDaniella A.
When Alexa said "From the name, The Guardian, you get the idea that his job was to protect the forest. Obviously, he failed." I don’t believed he failed per say, more the fact that a guardian was never needed before, and now with human growth he must watch over what is left to allow it to flourish again.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ellen's comment about how he is bound to his failures and is coming to a realization that there is no way out. To add to that, I don't think he has the courage in himself to find a way out either.
ReplyDelete- Julia El-Safty
i feel ellens comment does justice to this photo.
ReplyDelete-willem
I agree with julia's comment of how he is coming to a realization that there is no way out. It seems like he is trapped in his own body, searching for a way out but doesn't have the strength to because of his weakness.
ReplyDelete- Rachel Obuch