Four

Dog gods

BY Nat Power, May 30, 2012

Looking at Tim Flach’s Dog Gods I am immediately overcome with disparate feelings. I feel adoration yet I am uncomfortable. Unbelievable studio detail coupled with quintessential captured moments wake up my curiosity for dog breeds I would usually ignore. Flipside, I wonder if the attention to detail is purely indulgent aesthetics. Ubiquitous is the human need to connect with dog friends by turning them into parodies of ourselves. Haircuts and grooming, modelling and training – it’s impossible to see a dog’s perspective on these matters beyond the wagging tell-tail.

The series continues with dogs in their natural environments or at least appearing with that intent. Wolves in the snow, sheep dogs on farms and a dog pack with no background at all. The shots on the whole are visually stunning, mystical, comedic and challenging. Flach’s goal is to document the bond created over centuries with differing dog breeds and help the audience to appreciate how much they bring to our lives. The discomfort I mentioned above is in particular response to two close-ups, the Shar-pei depicted with its head drooped, almost highlighting a sadness for the way of the world, its wrinkles getting in the way of vision and physicality and the Afghan hound/s with long blow-dried hair mimicking none other than a rock star figure.

I don’t intend to rain on the creative effort to document dogs in their magnified glory. After all, they are astounding figures of our world that bring, breed and teach love. Flach’s work is original, confronting and thought-provoking, can we hope for anything more from photography? It’s clear from this exhibit that we dictate our relationship with dogs and how they are presented, the bond we share is reciprocated but through a human lens and on our terms.

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Photography by Tim Flach
To see the complete Dog Gods series, click here

Tags Art, Book, Close-up, Collection, Culture, Dog Gods, Exhibition, Photography, Studio, Tim Flach