John
04-15-2009, 02:06 PM
The fall guy
A daredevil performance artist has gone to extreme lengths by picturing himself plunging from a series of breathtaking heights.
The images, which sell for up to £4,000, show Kerry Skarbakka falling from a 700ft railway bridge, a 60ft building, as well as more domestic settings like from a ladder, down the stairs or in the shower.
Cleverly disguised harnesses and ropes help create the illusion of falling but Mr Skarbakka has also learnt how to throw himself from small heights without severely injuring himself.
A self-confessed thrill seeker, the 38-year-old is the model in all of his pictures, mainly because, he says, it is hard to find anyone who will take his place. His girlfriend Tracy Kwit, 32, is the photographer.
Mr Skarbakka, from Pennsylvania, said his knowledge of rock-climbing helped him to perfect a way of rigging himself up safely while giving the illusion of actually falling.
He said: "My experience as a rock climber helped out immensely. I can rig up anywhere, quite quickly. Often, I use ropes and rigging with a harness under my clothing.
"Other images, because of time and location, I must simply go for it and hope I don't break a leg. I learned to find the proper distances I could fall without snapping my body in half from impact."
Mr Skarbakka said his highest, and most terrifying, stunt to date was being pictured on the edge of a 700ft railway bridge.
"I kept having to adjust my ropes to find just the right body gesture and I kept saying things that would be perfect for those famous last words people say before they die.
"Usually the phrase is something like, 'Ok let's do just one more shot, I sure hope my rope doesn't break.'"
A daredevil performance artist has gone to extreme lengths by picturing himself plunging from a series of breathtaking heights.
The images, which sell for up to £4,000, show Kerry Skarbakka falling from a 700ft railway bridge, a 60ft building, as well as more domestic settings like from a ladder, down the stairs or in the shower.
Cleverly disguised harnesses and ropes help create the illusion of falling but Mr Skarbakka has also learnt how to throw himself from small heights without severely injuring himself.
A self-confessed thrill seeker, the 38-year-old is the model in all of his pictures, mainly because, he says, it is hard to find anyone who will take his place. His girlfriend Tracy Kwit, 32, is the photographer.
Mr Skarbakka, from Pennsylvania, said his knowledge of rock-climbing helped him to perfect a way of rigging himself up safely while giving the illusion of actually falling.
He said: "My experience as a rock climber helped out immensely. I can rig up anywhere, quite quickly. Often, I use ropes and rigging with a harness under my clothing.
"Other images, because of time and location, I must simply go for it and hope I don't break a leg. I learned to find the proper distances I could fall without snapping my body in half from impact."
Mr Skarbakka said his highest, and most terrifying, stunt to date was being pictured on the edge of a 700ft railway bridge.
"I kept having to adjust my ropes to find just the right body gesture and I kept saying things that would be perfect for those famous last words people say before they die.
"Usually the phrase is something like, 'Ok let's do just one more shot, I sure hope my rope doesn't break.'"