LONDON.- The Michael Hoppen Gallery is presenting a selection of new still lifes from American photographer Jeff Bark’s latest body of work Paradise Garage. The exhibition, opening June 26th, will run alongside his solo show at the Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome (from 7th June – 29th July).

Bark’s small garage in upstate New York, a once plain, blank-walled space, has been transformed into the unlikely setting for enigmatic scenes created through the merging of exquisite details and iconographic references to the art of the past. Bark takes an approach that is both meticulous and cinematic, one that resembles more the creation of a painting than the assembly of inspirations.

This new project originated two years ago: a visit to the Italian capital inspired him to recreate his own Grand Tour. His vision brings a sense of poetry and meaning to seemingly insignificant objects; souvenirs found in American flea markets become the catalyst for grandiose compositions and solemn portraits, images that end up representing the nuances of human nature. The careful use of lighting and the ambiguity with which every detail is nurtured, render the image unexpected and uncertain: as if a still stolen from a film reel we shall never see.

Born in Minnesota in 1963, Jeff Bark lives and works in New York. His work is included in American and International collections such as: North Carolina Museum of Art,
the Wilson Center of Photography, the Sir Elton John Collection and the 21st Century Museum.

Bark is known for his sensual aesthetics and for his technical mastery, which combined allow his photography to transform into a truly unique, and singular art. Each element is either consciously chosen, or meticulously created by Bark, who manages to thread the blank walls of his studios into dreamlike tapestries of photography.