Art&Culture
Natural selection
The Africanis, a truly independent breed and one of the few remaining natural dog races in the world, photographed by South African photographer Daniel Naudé.
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Natural selection
Unbound by the constraints of domestication, the Africanis is a recently recognised breed with a proven lineage going back 7,000 years. The dogs, which are native to Africa, are valued by the indigenous population for their independence, intelligence, fierce loyalty and hunting ability – traits which have allowed the strongest of the breed to survive and prosper on the outskirts of townships and villages all over the southern part of the continent.
Photographer Daniel Naudé, from Cape Town, first encountered the Africanis while on a road trip 5 years ago. This chance meeting left him so enthralled that he soon started seeking out more and set to photographing them for his series, Africanis.
What really captured Daniel was the sense that these are animals without a master, a truly independent breed and one of the few remaining natural dog races in the world. While the animals live in parallel with humans they maintain their own distinct domain.
The series captures the variety of appearances Africanis have developed while adapting to varying climates and landscapes throughout Africa. Their size, diet, posture, skin and fur all differ yet their is a undeniable similarity between the subjects Daniel captures.
The Africanis series frames the wild, untamed nature of the breed against a backdrop of vast unending horizons. Yet there is also a stillness, what appears to be a quiet encounter between the subject and photographer – no mean feat considering the series captures wild animals on medium format film.
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Photography by Daniel Naudé
See the complete Africanis series here
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.
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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.
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Art&Culture
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Art&Culture
Sweet dreams are made of this
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Dead Dog Beach
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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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