Alchemist II is a photograph by Robert and Shana Parkeharrison. The couple work together with sculpture, paint and photography to create images that are dreamy and surreal.... a bit dark. Their imagery is a commentary on how humans effect nature, and/or how humans are affected by nature and/or industy.Alchemist II is an image of a man who is tangled up in wires that are plugged into the wall. The wires are plentiful, they easily overwhelm him. They seem to be causing his death, or at the very least unconsciousness. He hangs from the wires that have overtaken him, wrapping around his stomach, arms, and neck.
It seems obvious that the man in the photograph did not do this to himself (it would have been unnecessary to wrap them so many times, so sporadically), but that the wires, the energy of industry, the electricity have themselves hung him. They have taken on a life of their own, and stolen the life of the human.
The Parkeharrisons are asking us to think about industry and development. They suggest that our world of electronics that is ever-growing is perhaps a danger. Where does it stop? Will we indeed empower them? Will they overtake us? These are important questions for our generation, and they have a beautiful way of bringing the issue to light with images that although disturbing, are visually pleasing. The colors, the painterly feel, the impeccable composition and well-controlled light all make their images feel beautifully dreamy. And yet, they are so much more than just a pretty picture.
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