In a Struggle to Right Oneself, artist Kerry Skarbakka accomplishes the seemingly impossible act of capturing himself in the act of falling. Whether  plummeting from trees, slipping naked in the shower or hovering over a deathly leap from a railway bridge, Skarbakka evokes a very strong artist statement. His inspiration for creating this ostensibly painful series of art came from philosopher Martin Heidegger. Heidegger describes human existence as “a process of perpetual falling, and the responsibility of each person to catch ourselves from our own uncertainty.” Skarbakka continues:

“This photographic work is in response to this delicate state. It comprises a culmination of thought and emotion, a tying together of the threads of everything I perceive life has come to represent. It is my understanding and my perspective, which relies on the shifting human conditions of the world that we inhabit. It’s exploration resides in the sublime metaphorical space from where balance has been disrupted to the definitive point of no return. It asks the question of what it means to resist the struggle, to simply let go. Or what are the consequences of holding on?”

Now the question is, how the hell does he do it? Well, the artist claims that special climbing gear and other rigging is used to achieve each shot. But another big question remains: Does someone/something catch him before he doomfully eats shit? Well, like any good story with an inconclusive end, the ambiguous aftermath of each action-packed shot is indeed part of his art’s purpose. To leave the ending “up in the air” is to reflect the uncertain consequences of the individual’s actions… even if that person is Skarbakka himself. To view more of Kerry Skarbakka’s philosophical moments of suspended peril visit his website.

More looks at Kerry Skarbakka’s “Struggle to Right Oneself” project after the Jump…