One Mother, Weather Permitting (2009) / Sun/Moon (2010-present)
ONE MONTH consists of photographs of the night sky over the Canadian city of Banff. Thanks to the long exposure time we see not only the tracks of the stars – as streaks of light – but also the interference caused by clouds crossing the sky and air pollution. The series consists of random compositions, which become a metaphor for greater natural forces that refuse to submit to our will for order. In these images Harper makes things palpable which remain elusive to the naked eye. In SUN/MOON she mines the impact cameras and optics have on our understanding: we can not look at the sun directly, or know the details of the moon’s surface, without a mediating instrument.