Untitled in Dream/Life
This untitled black and white photograph from Trent Parke’s first publication, Dream/Life, captures an intense loneliness and sense of futility emblematic of living in a chaotic metropolis. A flock of Japanese tourists march separately through the wide-angle frame, towards some unknown destination. Parke’s signature grainy, high contrast technique diminishes the men to anonymous ‘suits;’ they become faceless silhouettes set against menacing clouds. Sydney’s skyline is only vaguely recognisable, the Harbour Bridge reduced to an insignificant arch. The low angle and repetition of shapes create a complex tableau that is at once universal and hauntingly surreal.
Trent Parke
Untitled
1999
Gelatin silver print
24 x 36cm
Courtesy and copyright of the artist
http://www.stillsgallery.com.au/artists/parke/
Krystal Seigerman
Tags: photography, Trent Parke