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Better Together
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
It's difficult to determine what makes these snapshots of elaborately costumed parrots so weird. Is it that Long Island housewife Alba Ballard (1928-1994) felt compelled to spend years dressing up her feathered friends, or that the images are so curiously captivating? With the help of her husband, Marvin, Ballard designed costumes of celebrities and historical figures to place on her docile parrots, posing them at miniature tables and against painted backdrops. Some might find this disturbing, while others-like David Letterman, who had her on his show multiple times, and Woody Allen, who gave her a bit part in Broadway Danny Rose-will be heartily amused. When Ballard died, all that remained of her unusual hobby was a box full of photos discovered amid old fan mail addressed to Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. Through Taylor's daughter, Liza, the photos eventually found their way to New York photographer Svenson, a collector of "unique and odd" images. Readers who share Svenson's thirst for the bizarre will find these eccentric tableaus amusing. The photos, which are accompanied by headers hand-written by Ballard, feature parrots posing as wounded soldiers, impersonating Batman and Robin, and filling the famed shoes of Dean Martin (appropriately, a bevy of gorgeous Barbie dolls loiter in the background). Dressed and posed mannequin-like, the parrots seem to take their roles as models seriously, and their passive, expressionless countenances are the key to the absurdity of these pictures.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Book Description
"When I'm really old and can't use myself anymore, this is what I'll be doing." -Cindy Sherman
"Not only was I enthralled with Mrs. Ballard's Parrots, I was slightly jealous that these creatures had a better sense of style than me." -Isaac Mizrahi
In the late 1960s, Long Island housewife Alba Ballard decided to sew a little outfit for one of her many pet parrots. Soon she began staging elaborate productions, casting her lavishly costumed birds in scenes from popular movies, TV shows, and historical events-all preserved in photographs by Alba and her husband. One minute, parrots were tiny, winged incarnations of such luminaries as Sonny and Cher and General George Patton; another, yellow and green macaws in leather jackets rode on miniature motorcycles reenacting scenes from Easy Rider. Word of Alba's quirky creations spread, and with her feathered cast she eventually appeared on Late Night with David Letterman, Saturday Night Live, and even in Woody Allen's film Broadway Danny Rose.
In 1992 a small collection of her photographs turned up in the Swiss home of Elizabeth Taylor, and they soon reached the hands of Arne Svenson. Although Alba died in 1994, her fantasy world lives on in these pictures-a bizarre yet endearing mix of artistry, kitsch, and humor-which form the heart of this irresistible book. AUTHOR BIO: Arne Svenson is a New York-based photographer whose work has been shown extensively in the United States and Europe. He is the author of Prisoners and Sock Monkeys.
It's difficult to determine what makes these snapshots of elaborately costumed parrots so weird. Is it that Long Island housewife Alba Ballard (1928-1994) felt compelled to spend years dressing up her feathered friends, or that the images are so curiously captivating? With the help of her husband, Marvin, Ballard designed costumes of celebrities and historical figures to place on her docile parrots, posing them at miniature tables and against painted backdrops. Some might find this disturbing, while others-like David Letterman, who had her on his show multiple times, and Woody Allen, who gave her a bit part in Broadway Danny Rose-will be heartily amused. When Ballard died, all that remained of her unusual hobby was a box full of photos discovered amid old fan mail addressed to Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. Through Taylor's daughter, Liza, the photos eventually found their way to New York photographer Svenson, a collector of "unique and odd" images. Readers who share Svenson's thirst for the bizarre will find these eccentric tableaus amusing. The photos, which are accompanied by headers hand-written by Ballard, feature parrots posing as wounded soldiers, impersonating Batman and Robin, and filling the famed shoes of Dean Martin (appropriately, a bevy of gorgeous Barbie dolls loiter in the background). Dressed and posed mannequin-like, the parrots seem to take their roles as models seriously, and their passive, expressionless countenances are the key to the absurdity of these pictures.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Book Description
"When I'm really old and can't use myself anymore, this is what I'll be doing." -Cindy Sherman
"Not only was I enthralled with Mrs. Ballard's Parrots, I was slightly jealous that these creatures had a better sense of style than me." -Isaac Mizrahi
In the late 1960s, Long Island housewife Alba Ballard decided to sew a little outfit for one of her many pet parrots. Soon she began staging elaborate productions, casting her lavishly costumed birds in scenes from popular movies, TV shows, and historical events-all preserved in photographs by Alba and her husband. One minute, parrots were tiny, winged incarnations of such luminaries as Sonny and Cher and General George Patton; another, yellow and green macaws in leather jackets rode on miniature motorcycles reenacting scenes from Easy Rider. Word of Alba's quirky creations spread, and with her feathered cast she eventually appeared on Late Night with David Letterman, Saturday Night Live, and even in Woody Allen's film Broadway Danny Rose.
In 1992 a small collection of her photographs turned up in the Swiss home of Elizabeth Taylor, and they soon reached the hands of Arne Svenson. Although Alba died in 1994, her fantasy world lives on in these pictures-a bizarre yet endearing mix of artistry, kitsch, and humor-which form the heart of this irresistible book. AUTHOR BIO: Arne Svenson is a New York-based photographer whose work has been shown extensively in the United States and Europe. He is the author of Prisoners and Sock Monkeys.
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