Art of the Day: Summer Arm Artist: Robert & Shana ParkeHarrison Gallery: Counterpoint Lin Vuong Ms. Tanaka Honors English April 2015

Character The photo shows the arm of a person whose face is blurred, indicating that not one specific person is responsible for what is being presented. The flowers are being taken care of by the person, hence the bloom of the flowers. But without the machinery that supports the arm, the plants cannot be grown.

Color The landscape is neutral almost as if the photographer is saying that there is no life in an environment that lacks sunlight and blue skies. The flowers are composed of greens and yellows which represents life unlike the machinery which is bronze and silver.

Light The shadows beneath the arm suggest that the light source is coming from above the picture. Judging by the direction the flowers are growing, it can also be assumed that the source is up top. The machinery is in the darkness but also parts of the plant’s roots.

Angle The angle from which the photo is taken is parallel to the person’s arm appearing centered.

Proportion The flowers take up about two thirds of the picture The machinery only occupies the lower third of the image. Above the flowers is an empty space that isn’t cropped out to show that there is room for growth and change.

Placement The person’s head is placed slightly above the arm towards the right side of the picture. Also, although there are roots wrapped around the machinery, the plants can’t grow directly from the machines. This indicates the intersection between nature, humans and technology where the subjects are stacked on each other.

Setting There is no clear setting because there are no surroundings that could give us hints as to where the photo is taking place. But…white isn’t specifically defined as anything!

Character: The photo shows the upturned arm of a person whose face is blurred, indicating that not one specific person is responsible for what is being presented. ParkeHarrison suggests that the owner of the arm is not as important as the effect it has, thus the blurred features of the face. By turning the focus of the photo away from the identity, the photographer is stating that the arm belongs to not one person but all of humanity. The curved flowers are being taken care of by the person, hence the bloom of the flowers. But without the jagged machinery that supports the arm, the plants cannot be grown. ParkeHarrison emphasizes that humanity’s actions are directed to controlling nature using industries and innovations. Color: The landscape in Summer Arm is fairly neutral. The photographer is saying that there is no life in an environment that lacks sunlight and blue skies. The subject of the photograph is placed against a grayish-white background which accentuates the lively colors of the flowers and the high contrast of the metal machinery. Ironically, the flowers are composed of brightly colored greens and yellows which represents flourishing life unlike the machinery which is mainly composed of dull bronze and silver. Instead of using neutral colors to state there is no life, ParkeHarrison uses the brighter colors to propose that life, the flowers and the person, relies on the use of technology to survive and develop. Light: The shadows beneath the arm suggest that the light source is coming from above the picture. Also, the flowers need a source of light. Judging by the direction the flowers are growing, it can also be assumed that the source is up top. The machinery is in the shadows which suggests that it doesn’t need light to grow and change. Not only is the machinery in the darkness but also parts of the plant’s roots. ParkeHarrison is saying that despite the need for sunlight, plants still have a connection to machinery which serves as the basis of life. Without the presence of machinery, the plants would not be able grow even if there was light. Angle: The angle from which the photo is taken is parallel to the person’s arm appearing centered. The camera is not angled to make any one part of the picture take importance over another part showing it’s overall equal importance of all three: nature, technology and humanity. The photograph suggests that the human, flowers, and machinery all rely on one another without one having more power than another. Proportion: In the photo, the flowers take up about one third of the picture as well as the machinery. But above the flowers is an empty space that was purposely not cropped out by ParkeHarrison to show that there is room for growth and change. The arm is placed directly above the machinery showing no visible rooms for expansion suggesting that despite a lack of advancement in technology, plants will still strive to grow larger. Or, that technology should cease to advance forward in fear that it will overtake natural life. Placement: The person’s head is placed slightly above the arm towards the right side of the picture. The photographer puts the head above the arm so it can be grouped with the living half of the photo. Humans will grow and change unlike the machinery that is below the arm. Also, although there are roots wrapped around the machinery, the plants can’t grow directly from the machines. It still needs human intervention, thus the placement of the arm between the machines and the plants. This indicates the intersection between nature, humans and technology where the subjects are stacked on each other presenting the machines as being the base, the arm being the support and the plants being the result or life.. Setting: There is no clear setting because there are no surroundings that could give us hints as to where the photo is taking place. White isn’t specifically defined as anything leading to the assumptions that because white has no specific correlation to a location, it could be defined as everywhere on earth with the existence of the objects in the photo: humans, nature, and technology. ParkeHarrison photographs on a white background to show that the alliance between humanity, technology and nature is everywhere and not tied to a specific place.