Herb Parker

I have two concurrent bodies of work, which maintain separate identities, but are of equal importance in my life. The nature-based installations, which began in the mid-seventies, are created to enhance a viewer’s perception of the environment and our relationship with nature. These environmental installations evolved from my thoughts on the mechanism of natural systems in time. This series serves as an ephemeral memento to the resilience of nature and an affirmation of the continuum of systems within the natural order. The nature-based work speaks in a hybrid language from three distinct realms: architecture (experience), sculpture (concept) and landscape (medium). The ideas/issues revolve around time, movement, history, culture, community, dialogue, spirituality, entropy and regeneration. I hope to achieve a synthesis with natural forms in the service of architectonic ideals to create a space existing in the theoretical yet grounded in the visceral; sound, smell and touch. 

My object-oriented work employs a variety of materials and is somewhat autobiographical. The work reflects the insecurities, fears and exhilarations of life. These works are fueled by social and political developments, as well as interpersonal and familial relationships and the expectations and antagonisms inherent in that association. This work allows me to ruminate on an idea, exploring the ambiguities, which make differing perspectives possible. I use this activity as a means of understanding and working through the complexities of life. This work more accurately reflects the excitement and frustrations of day-to-day existence than the more ethereal interactions in the landscape.