During a trip across America, Swiss photographer Gus Petro started his new project, "Merge," which captures two contrasting locations in a single, surreal image.
Petro was awestruck by the "emptiness and density" of the country after visiting New York City one week, then the Grand Canyon the next. To illustrate his observation, he decided to create an image that would comprise elements of both landscapes and show their disparity. Petro explains that "in this project, two opposite places are merged into one: New York City, where it seems like everyone wants to live there, and Grand Canyon/Death Valley, which are unlivable."
The first two images depict the extremes that Petro noticed during his trip, while the third combines them and invites the viewer to compare and contrast the landscapes.
Empty (2013). Image: Gus Petro
Merge (2013). Image: Gus Petro