This photo is one of Shana and Robert ParkeHarisson’s surreal compositions title “Reclamation.” The image depicts two figures, one in the foreground and one in the background, each of which are tugging on the grass or field as if it were a large carpet. ParkeHarrison work is known to use a central figure depicted as a man in a suit, which leads me to believe the two people in this photo are the same, and this combination was done with a double exposure. The photo is dynamic because it is horizontally split almost perfectly between sky and ground, but it also uses a vanishing point that runs along the border between the grass and dirt. This photo is also intriguing because it causes the viewer to question how it could be made. The tugging of the grass could perhaps have been made by a small natural grass hill that has been photoshopped out to make the grass look as if it’s being lifted up. Another interesting thing about the piece is the name that it bears. The title “Reclamation” combined with the landscape makes me as a viewer think about Native American land reclamation, and perhaps this photo is supposed to support the Natives.
ParkeHarrison, Shana and Robert. “Reclamation.” ParkeHarrison, Architect’s Brother, Burn Season, https://www.parkeharrison.com/architect-s-brother/burn-season/388.