10.) Edward Ranney — Genevieve Kerr

Edward Ranney is a photographer known for documenting natural and man-altered landscapes. This has been his main focus for over forty years, and during this time he has specialized in recording the pre-Colombian archeological sites of Peru. Ranney has received numerous awards for his work and has published several books with images of the pre-Colombian architecture along the Andean Desert Coast. The photos posted below are from his book Monuments of the Incas.

Through his photographs, Ranney offers a view of the world the way the Incas saw it. He depicts aspects of the landscape that may have been the inspiration for the structures they built. As the viewer, we see how the shapes and natural forms of the landscape correspond to the structures built by the humans who lived there. Ranney’s photos act as a time machine, taking us back to an early world and into the minds of the Incan architects. We are also able to see the relationship forged between the architecture and the land. In ancient times, humans worked with the land, following the natural slopes, rises, and curves, to establish sustainable and beautiful structures. Edward Ranney’s photographs give us an opportunity to see into the minds of the early artists, and reflect the character of the place where they once flourished.