David Parker

Then all at once the wind fell, and a calm came over all of the sea, as though some power lulled the swell

Homer, The Odyssey

David Parker’s panoramic photographs of solitary rock stacks inhabit the threshold between our world and the world of dreams. Parker’s technical artistry allows him to explore the symbolic potential of geographic landforms embedding his work with an air of timelessness and enigma. We are delighted to announce an exhibition of new work from David Parker’s Sirens series.

These photographs are records of Parker’s encounters with archetypes of the natural world. Like the mythological Sirens encountered by Odysseus, these isolated rock stacks appear as apparitions in the sea luring the viewer under their influence. So as not to evaporate the mystery of his Sirens the geographical location of each remains a secret to Parker, allowing the rock stacks to become abstract visual elements. He utilises a tension between the empty skies, the glassy still sea and the detailed and layered craggy rocks to imitate the legend of Sirens who calmed and silenced the waters around them with their otherworldly powers.

Similar to the peripatetic topographical photographers of the 19th Century, Parker’s work captures an awe of the natural world and echoes the textural richness and warm seductive tones of this aesthetic. Using a specially customised panoramic camera, a long exposure and by painstakingly hand printing these monumentally sized prints, Parker marries the contemporary with traditional craftsmanship.

Born in 1949 in Staffordshire, David Parker trained as an engineer and illustrator before moving into photography. He has published two monographs, and this exhibition will coincides with the publication of the entire Siren’s series in a new book by Steidl. This will be Parker’s third exhibition at Michael Hoppen Gallery and he has also exhibited in Zurich and the US. His work is held in many prestigious collections including the Citibank Private Bank Collection and the Davis Museum in the United States.