WHAT YOU SEE ISN'T ALWAYS WHAT YOU GET
Sometimes, capturing a scene with a camera is only the beginning. It is the spark that ignites the fire of creativity which burns until the vision of the mind's eye is complete. Lisa Merman Bender is a skilled photographer, but more than that, she is an artist. Digital manipulation and collage combining more than one of her photographs allow her to reveal what she sees beyond what is possible, but perhaps what should be. The connection between man and nature is a common theme in her work.
For the "Urbanimals" collection, Lisa was envisioning what the world would be like if there were no borders—geographically or between man and wild animal. The urban animals photographic collages in the first section below explore the idea of the selfishness of humans that stems from our insistence on dominating our environments rather than living in harmony with them. It also considers how it's not only the human race that places itself in a position of superiority, but that individual races, cultural groups, religions, etc. from throughout the world find ways to raise themselves above their fellow man. Borders keep man from enjoying the whole earth just as animals that could once roam have limited space and are confined to small areas of their native homelands.
For the "Urbanimals" collection, Lisa was envisioning what the world would be like if there were no borders—geographically or between man and wild animal. The urban animals photographic collages in the first section below explore the idea of the selfishness of humans that stems from our insistence on dominating our environments rather than living in harmony with them. It also considers how it's not only the human race that places itself in a position of superiority, but that individual races, cultural groups, religions, etc. from throughout the world find ways to raise themselves above their fellow man. Borders keep man from enjoying the whole earth just as animals that could once roam have limited space and are confined to small areas of their native homelands.
