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A true blessing
Eliot Rausch’s film documents the final stages of a great looking 3-legged bullish boxer’s life and in turn gave us all a pertinent reminder that dogs are a true blessing.
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A true blessing
Eliot Rausch documented the final stages of a great looking 3-legged bullish boxer’s life and in turn gave us all a pertinent reminder that dogs are a true blessing. There are special dogs that know how to care for their owners, look after your friends, get you out of the house and keep you real. Oden, Jason Wood’s best friend, did all that and so much more, in his words, ‘he taught me how to love’. What a gift.
Tears flow after watching the heart wrenching 6.15 minutes that is Last Minutes with Oden. Don’t be put off by the tear jerker response, it’s not tacky, it’s not trying to be sad, it wasn’t produced to pull heartstrings, it was made to document a relationship and anyone watching this film will feel a strong and heart warming connection with the characters as we witness Wood’s tough decision to have Oden put to rest after a long struggle with cancer.
Last Minutes with Oden won Raucsh the gold prize for documentary film-making in the 2010 Vimeo Awards. Backed by the musical talents of Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) and Aaron Dessner (The National) for the soundtrack, the poetic lineage of this short is off the emotional Richter. Without narration it could potentially double as a film clip for the beautiful track, Big Red Machine. Jason and Oden’ story was also included in Rausch’ 8 lives, a feature length documentary committed to ‘pulling stories from the heartbeat of America and capturing the rawness of the human experience.’
Art&Culture
Off the Leash
by Emma Guthrie
Cartoonist Rupert Fawcett is an old hat in the genre, his trademark wit and warmth prevalent across the board. We spoke to Fawcett about his latest project, Off the Leash.
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Best in show
Visual artist Robert Clarke has been on a voyage of canine discovery since overcoming his lifelong fear of dogs with the girlfriend-prompted purchase of a Jack Russell puppy. Clarke says the emotional turn-around was “a religious experience of sorts”, and it has been inspiring his work ever since. “I try to capture the essence of the dog. When I meet the dog, I gauge its playfulness and its attitude… Each dog has a different personality; I try to capture that in paint.” An exhibition of 42 of Clarke’s canine canvases, Best In Show, is on now at London’s Cricket Fine Art gallery and runs until June 1st.
Recommended by Amy Freeborn, Journalist
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Art&Culture
Canis Lupus Familiaris
by Amy Freeborn
The Natural History Museum at Tring, Hertfordshire, England, opened its doors in 1892 to showcase the private collection of Lionel Walter, 2nd Baron Rothschild. Today it still holds the largest collection of domestic dogs on display in the UK.
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Sausages and Food
An extensive selection of work by Welsh conceptual artist-come-photographer Keith Arnatt is currently being exhibited at Tate Britain. The show includes one of his most renowned series, Walking the Dog (1976-79), a captivating collection of black and white portraits of dogs and their owners looking straight into camera. Until 11th August 2013.
Recommended by João Bento, Writer
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Same same but different
Wood grain, pen strokes, felt strips. Over hundred artists have dressed and groomed Gerald, a paper Bracco Italiano, as part of a collaboration led by agency Lazerian. You can check the pack at 60 Reade Gallery during New York Design Week.
Recommended by Four&Sons
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Art&Culture
The look of love
by Emma Guthrie
From dogs and cats, to owls and tarantulas, Tobias Lang’s photographic series
‘Your Pet and You’ sheds new light on man and their best friends.
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Keith Haring
Glowing babies, big hearts, dancing people, barking dogs. Vivienne Westwood once compared the symbolic language of Keith Haring to hieroglyphs. If anything, Keith Haring’s work is pure gut expression. When in Paris, visit the retrospective organised by The Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville in association with Le Centquatre. With more than 250 pictures on canvas and tarpaulins and from subway walls, as well as some truly monumental art pieces, the show is not to be missed. Until 18 August 2013.
Recommended by Four&Sons
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Art&Culture
Sweet dreams are made of this
by Meredith Forrester
Susan Sabo’s latest project, I Dreamt of Dogs, helps the California-based photographer to deal with unfinished business.
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Dead Dog Beach
by Sophie Gamand
Photographer Sophie Gamand’s world had been filled with bedazzled silk dresses and feathered hats until she ventured into Dead Dog Beach, Puerto Rico. This is her heartfelt account of the experience informing her work to this day.
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One Day In History
Norwegian photographer Andrea Gjestvang wins the Sony World Photography Award for her moving collection of portraits of surviving teenagers of the Utoya massacre. Fifteen-year-old Iselin Rose Borc (featured) recalls: “In the period after Utoya I had a really hard time sleeping. I was afraid of the dark and suffered dreadful nightmares. My mom and I decided that getting a dog might help me, so I got Athene. Now she sleeps on top of my stomach every night.” That’s why they are called man’s best friend.
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