HANG TOUGH — Four&Sons
Art&Culture, Photography

HANG TOUGH

Photographer Carlos Sanva explores the way humans project themselves onto pit bulls, and what that means from a social point of view.

s READ MORE
CLOSE

HANG TOUGH

There is no doubt that pit bulls have had their fair share of bad press. (No) thanks to a trail of myths following them around (read: not all pit bull owners belong to bike gangs or dog fight clubs), pit bulls are misunderstood dogs. Yet, for fans of the breed, pit bulls represent a whole lot more than sheer strength, servitude or aggression.

These notions fascinated Carlos Sanva, a Madrid-based photographer who set out to explore the way humans project themselves onto pit bulls, and what that means from a social point of view. After watching a video on YouTube, which features the (now famous) Perla pulling a car with her own teeth, Sanva contacted the pit bull’s proud owner in Argentina and flew over to photograph this incredibly strong creature. The series Supermen was born. “Supermen is a meditation on the will of human power based on direct experience working with American pit bull terriers in controlled environments,” Sanva explains. “Dogs are always subjected to human will that moulds each one’s character (through selection and training). Thereby, by observing their behavior, we can identify some of our own similarities in turn.” The title of the series was also informed by the “Superman Syndrome.” Sanva explains: “On a physical level, it is an anomaly in gender chromosomes, when a male receives an extra Y chromosome, producing the 47.XYY karyotype. Throughout history, some scientists have fervently defended the notion, without being able to offer concrete results, that certain violent characteristics are directly related to this genetic accident.”

The images are confronting, extremely physical, masculine. One can almost hear the panting, the struggle, the commands, and we are left pondering preconceived notions about pit bulls. That is, until Sanva reveals that Perla is in fact a spoiled girl— one who is allowed to sleep in bed with her owners and even got some fancy dentistry to correct her teeth. Like Supermen, most of the photographer’s works focus on social behaviour, and serve as metaphors for how we view the world. Says Sanva: “My independent projects affirm that the world is indeed a very strange place, and they are marked by a profound irony that calls into question specific social codes.”


All images courtesy of Carlos Salva
Article initially was published at the Four&Sons broadsheet
nophoto.org/superhombres

CLOSE

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.

THE DOG MAKER

Thanks to hungry wolves and ancient humans, there are over 350 dog breeds in the world today. Artist Hosung Jang offers more.

LITTLE WONDERS

Clean-lined, minimal and irresistibly cute, Odile Ferraille depicts dogs living their best, carefree lives.

MUTUAL ADMIRATION

London-based illustrator Ashley Percival creates colourful prints full of energy and charged with imagination. 

LET LOOSE

For his series ‘Compositions and Attitudes’ photographer Hosung Jang captures dogs’ unadulterated curiosity.

Loading...
Loading more posts...