GIRL, INTERRUPTED — Four&Sons

Four&Sons

Art&Culture, Photography, Publications

GIRL, INTERRUPTED

Hellen van Meene’s nostalgic portraits of girls and dogs capture the elegance and awkwardness of youth.

s READ MORE
CLOSE

GIRL, INTERRUPTED

WORDS BY Samantha Gurrie

“The years shall run like rabbits,” recites the quixotic Ethan Hawke to Julie Delpy in cult favourite Before Sunrise. It sounds romantic, sure, in spite of the fact that W.H. Auden’s wistful ballad is a cautionary tale.

Such is the inspiration for Dutch photographer Hellen van Meene, whose series The years shall run like rabbits is less about anticlimactic affairs than the ephemerality of youth and the urgency of time. “Adults already know what they want from life, having experienced things positive and negative, so it’s difficult to pry them open and get into their souls,” she says. “Young people are so open and new and fresh; I can guide them much more. They are so inspiring, and I love to be inspired by them.”

Juxtaposing girls and dogs, van Meene took the images for this series with the same quiet formality found in early 20th-century portraiture. Set against the understated backdrop of a vacant home in Heiloo, Netherlands, the photographer’s carefully orchestrated compositions are haunted by a dreamy, melancholy languor. Her two- and four-legged subjects share not only deadpan expressions and stylised poses, but also a tenuous naiveté. They are by turns fragile and strong—the dogs tempering the girls’ natural awkwardness, the girls disrupting the dynamic between man and dog. “I picked the dogs like I pick my models—the special faces I find on the street that give me goose bumps—and matched them together not based on looks, but chemistry,” she says. “There was an English setter with these droopy eyes, like the world was leaning on his shoulders, and an Afghan hound with beautiful features and long hair, who turned and gave me a very arrogant look. I was in love!”

—
You can enjoy the complete feature in Four&Sons, Issue One.
To buy a copy, click here

—
Photography by Hellen van Meene.
Images courtesy of Yancey Richardson Gallery.
The years shall run like rabbits is published by Ludion.

CLOSE
, , , ,

TAKE THE LEAD

We are thrilled to introduce Dog-Friendly, a collection of city guides for dog-loving people, created together with our long-time contributor, photographer Winnie Au, and fellow enthusiasts, indie publisher Hoxton Mini Press. Available for purchase here.

August 25, 2021

, ,

PACK OF DOGS

Have you ever imagined Amy Winehouse or Nick Cave as a Chihuahua, Neil Young as a Vizsla, or PJ Harvey as an Afghan hound? That’s exactly what San Francisco-based artist Michael Gillette has done through his unique illustration project, blending beloved, iconic music legends, both past and present, with their dog counterparts. Pack of Dogs, our first foray into book publishing, is a celebration of pup and pop culture for music and dog lovers alike.

August 25, 2020

ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

Spanish photographer Sara Monsalve strives to ‘capture your memories’—to immortalise the beauty, innocence and wisdom of our pets.

November 8, 2023

JUMP FOR JOY

Photographer Rebecca Rinaldi knows that to capture a dog’s true essence, play is the key ingredient.

July 13, 2023

,

PLAY DATE

An antidote to mass-produced dog accessories, MiaCara’s range of carefully crafted toys are designed to surprise, endure and delight.

July 12, 2023

POODLE ELITE

Jouk Oosterhof photographs Amsterdam’s beloved family members (with a dash of lifestyle accessory).

May 3, 2023

,

TEAM EFFORT

What started as a fundraising effort to save photographer Kristoffer Paulsen’s beloved dog Josie, morphed into Melbourne’s most in-demand pet portraits.

March 31, 2023

Loading...
Loading more posts...