‘grass portraits’ by ackroyd and harvey ‘face to face’, 2012 5000 x 3000 cm

british artist dan harvey and heather ackroyd of ackroyd & harvey intersect the disciplines of sculpture, photography, architecture, and biology with their large-scale grass portraits. the duo have been experimenting with the natural medium for years, exploring the artistic possibilities surrounding seedlings and photosynthesis.

to create the pieces, they project an image onto a dark wall of greenery, causing corresponding parts of the surface to germinate depending on how much light they receive. the more sun an area receives, the darker the pigmentation becomes and when moving further away from the work, the clearer the resolution. the compositions articulate the ephemeral and present qualities of existence, where the living work can remain for years or only several months.

ackroyd and harvey are showing their work as part of an exhibition entitled ‘face to face’ at domaine de chamarande in france.

photographs on grass by ackroyd & harvey an image is created by controlling how much light parts of the grass receive

photographs on grass by ackroyd & harvey the work intersects the disciplines of sculpture, photography, architecture, and biology

photographs on grass by ackroyd & harvey

photographs on grass by ackroyd & harvey

photographs on grass by ackroyd & harvey

photographs on grass by ackroyd & harvey

photographs on grass by ackroyd & harvey

photographs on grass by ackroyd & harvey