Description:
Chris Harrison’s series, 'Under the Hood' presents a collection of beautifully composed portraits of young men living in Salford in the 1990s. In a clever use of juxtaposition, Harrison employs the conventions of ‘old masters’ painting to subvert stereotypical representations, humanising the characters trapped under the hood of prejudice.
“Chris Harrison’s photographs are uneasy statements. They have connotations of both violence and grandeur and express an intense curiosity, showing an exchange of gazes which are both wary and narcissistic. One senses that the photographer is seduced by his subjects, just as they are seduced by him. Players in a complex game, in which the rules are only partially understood, photographer and subject make intimate connections, only to be a little taken aback by the temerity of looking. But Harrison’s photographs are redemptive too – they insist on reclaiming status for those judged by society to be worthy of none. If the men in his photographs emerge with a kind of holiness, then perhaps this is simply an acknowledgement that the line between saints and sinners is a fine one and that both are possessed by a peculiar madness."
- Val Williams, Professor of the History and Culture of Photography, University College London
Publication Date: 1994
Publisher: Viewpoint Gallery
Condition: Very Good
Book Size: 21 x 0.5 x 8 cm
Pages: 24
Format: Softcover
ISBN: 090-1952311
Description:
Chris Harrison’s series, 'Under the Hood' presents a collection of beautifully composed portraits of young men living in Salford in the 1990s. In a clever use of juxtaposition, Harrison employs the conventions of ‘old masters’ painting to subvert stereotypical representations, humanising the characters trapped under the hood of prejudice.
“Chris Harrison’s photographs are uneasy statements. They have connotations of both violence and grandeur and express an intense curiosity, showing an exchange of gazes which are both wary and narcissistic. One senses that the photographer is seduced by his subjects, just as they are seduced by him. Players in a complex game, in which the rules are only partially understood, photographer and subject make intimate connections, only to be a little taken aback by the temerity of looking. But Harrison’s photographs are redemptive too – they insist on reclaiming status for those judged by society to be worthy of none. If the men in his photographs emerge with a kind of holiness, then perhaps this is simply an acknowledgement that the line between saints and sinners is a fine one and that both are possessed by a peculiar madness."
- Val Williams, Professor of the History and Culture of Photography, University College London
Publication Date: 1994
Publisher: Viewpoint Gallery
Condition: Very Good
Book Size: 21 x 0.5 x 8 cm
Pages: 24
Format: Softcover
ISBN: 090-1952311