With its iconography of the remains of a grand feast and its themes of contemporary wealth, decadence, and disregard for the environment, the new Wall at WAM commission was created by the collaborative husband and wife team, Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison, as a visual and conceptual counterpoint to the Museum’s 6th-century Hunt mosaic from Antioch. The artists recently responded to several questions about their concept and process posed by Susan Stoops, Curator of Contemporary Art.
Susan Stoops: Has the Wall at WAM commission presented any new challenges for you?
Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison: The immense scale of this commission and the duration it is displayed are the two major challenges of this project. In the beginning our desire was to create a continuous detailed tableau photograph for the mural site. Creating a photograph at this immense scale presented far more of a challenge than we had imagined. In our studio, we photographed the elaborate image using multiple negatives that were scanned and merged together to retain the overall detail and resolution for this image.
The other challenge was creating a photograph that offers a provocative and intriguing experience for viewers over the duration of its installation. We set out to create a lush mural with visceral details and opulence that responded to its surroundings. The opportunity to respond to the Worcester Hunt was exciting and stimulating. It was simply the execution that presented logistical and technical challenges. As former Worcester residents, we have long coveted the opportunity to ‘take on’ the Wall at WAM. Our affinity for the Wall made the challenge all the more thrilling for us. SS: Unlike many previous Wall at WAM murals, your project engages specifically the Museum’s 6thcentury Hunt mosaic from Antioch, which occupies the floor beneath the mural. Can you discuss that relationship?
R & SP: Researching the symbolism, history and culture of Antioch offered intriguing content to our creative process. The brutality displayed in the Worcester Hunt became fertile ground for us to explore the cruelty and gluttony of the time in which the mosaic was created. The concept for our mural offers a window into contemporary issues of use and misuse by referencing the past. The central figure of the Worcester Hunt stands awkwardly yet
casually as a scene of animal brutality is enacted around him. This character is referenced in our image by a man holding a slain deer. In our image it is unclear if his action is aggressive or sympathetic. Clearly the feast in our image references decadence, both past and present. We titled our piece, These Days of Maiuma.
Maiuma was a religious festival in the ancient world. In Antioch, it became a reason for parties which lasted between five and thirty days. This observance evolved into such a corrupt and decadent display of all forms of excess that it was periodically outlawed or tempered. This festival of excess seems aligned with the excesses visible in the mosaic and in the lifestyles of ancient Antioch. SS: Can you describe the collaborative nature of your practice?
R & SP: Collaboration is an organic process for us. We work from our shared vision and love for art. We have a great amount of trust and respect for one another’s diverse artistic visions. Our collaborative process is similar to a game of throwing a ball back and forth. In our collaborative game, we start throwing the ball far from each other and progressively get closer and closer until we meet in middle.
SS: What are some of the influences that inform your photography?
R & SP: The influences on our work are vast and diverse from everyday experiences to research in history, literature, religion, ritual, dance and art, theater and film. We are constantly searching for new influences for our work. Influence is an active process of ‘filling the well.’ For this mural commission we delved into the influence of the Antioch mosaics and the history and culture of this time period, while looking for similarities to contemporary issues.
Artist Talk: Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison Sunday, May 19, 2013, 2pm Conference Room Free with Museum Admission.
This project is supported by the Don and Mary Melville Contemporary Art Fund. Additional generous support provided by David and Marlene Persky and an anonymous donor. Image: Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison, These Days of Maiuma, 2013, inkjet, 17 x 67 feet. Courtesy of the artists and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York
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