glimpses of a roman paradise were crafted in an upstate new york garage

imagine an empty garage with plain walls and a little dust. here, in this perfect canvas, photographer jeff bark cast classic iconography to every surface. he posed models, lit them baroquely, staged still lives, and merged a hazy, idealistic past of romance and rebirth with plastic buckets, cigarettes and home security cameras. his photoset titled ‘paradise garage’ lulls you back and forth between that roman renaissance and a DIY renovation project in upstate NY, but, ultimately, the photos will in fact be on display in the eternal city, rome, italy until july 28, 2019.

all images courtesy of jeff bark

on view at palazzo delle esposizioni, bark’s garage photosets suddenly become surreal landscapes. at times, his photos seem to be inhabited by nostalgic vignettes, and at others by monumental portraits, reminiscent of the allure of the large painting collections found in roman palazzi. 

the limited space found within his garage has allowed bark to discover a meticulous, cinematic style — one that resembles the creation of a painting more than the assembly of random, insignificant objects. it is an approach that represents his many fragments, and that holds tightly within itself the influences of european, italian and flemish art.

exhibition view, image by andrea buccella

exhibition view, image by andrea buccella

exhibition view / reconstruction of the artist’s garage,  image by andrea buccella

project info: 

artist: jeff bark

exhibition title: paradise garage

exhibition venue: palazzo delle esposizioni, rome

exhibition duration: june 7 – july 28, 2019