Art&Culture, Photography
GIMME SHELTER
In a world where architecture has gone to the dogs, photographer Mark Ruwedel explores beautifully decaying doghouses in the wild West.
s READ MORE
CLOSE
CLOSE
GIMME SHELTER
A half-century later, photographer Mark Ruwedel stumbled upon another marooned doghouse in the Mojave Desert. “I was photographing abandoned homes for my series Dusk, and in doing so one day, saw a doghouse out back,” he recalls. “It was kind of funny because it looked like a miniature version of the house. But it was also somewhat disturbing. I’m not big on the idea of keeping a dog in a doghouse, but in this 90-degree arch around Los Angeles, I was finding one, two, three… It’s almost as though there are doghouse zones. I can’t draw any conclusions but it’s curious.”
Where the Dusk houses are shot in stark black and white, the Dog Houses are suffused with subtle colour that fans out to the surrounding dust bowl. An affecting, if aesthetic, difference. “There is a forensic quality to the [human] houses that I softened in the doghouses,” says Ruwedel. Weather-beaten by the elements, the ramshackle shelters are of myriad shapes and sizes, and in various states of decay. But there is beauty and meaning in these houses of disorder. “There’s an improvisational quality to some of the structures. They remind me of Three Little Pigs. You imagine the one made of bricks being there forever, while the one made from the plastic liner for a pickup truck, with a hole cut out and some rocks on top, is going to blow away eventually.”
—
You can enjoy the complete feature in Four&Sons, Issue One.
To buy a copy, click here
—
Photography by Mark Ruwedel.
Images Courtesy of Yossi Milo Gallery and Gallery Luisotti.
DOG-FRIENDLY: 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
BETWEEN THE LINES
French artist Jochen Gerner distils the magic and energy of dogs using disarmingly simple techniques, relying on felt pens and school notebooks.
November 3, 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
REALLY GOOD DOGS
Photographer Randal Ford’s fierce clarity draws dogs’ personality to the fore to reveal each animal’s “true essence”.
June 8, 2023
JET SET PET
Moving your buddy from A to be B becomes an exercise in style, comfort and convenience with Cloud7’s Travel Collection.
June 2, 2023
NATURAL INSTINCT
In his series ‘Kinetic’, San Diego-based photographer James Lee celebrates dogs at full speed.
May 7, 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
KINGDOM OF HOUNDS
For decades, legendary Irish documentary photographer Tony O’Shea has captured the country’s annual drag hunt, and a country’s rich history along with it.
March 24, 2023
Loading more posts...