MAGIC WAND
Stroll through Prenzlauer Berg in Berlin and you may just hear the dainty pad of paws from a captivating pair of hounds. Meet Yōji and Viktor, two sleek white whippets who shine on Instagram as @_wand_wand thanks to their owner: designer and amateur photographer wandaMAN.
The feed’s minimalist aesthetic, combined with Yōji’s and Viktor’s highly photogenic sensibilities, creates a perfect balance between pet and muse—an attention that has earned nearly 70,000 followers.
This popularity isn’t just thanks to wandaMAN’s whippets. She happens to be a killer graphic designer. Born in Poland, she cut her teeth on posters for underground techno parties. Working with her brother, she used “distorted digital photos from [an] old and damaged Sony camera”. She created stickers. She made graffiti. She collected “defective laser prints from copy machines”.
Concerning whippets, wandaMAN was enthralled at first sight. “When Yōji came to us, I literally bombarded my family with photos of him until my sister told me about Instagram,” she says. “Whippets became more than just a dog to me; they’re addictive. They can change from lazy couch potato to a super speed machine… The classic ‘s’ shape of their sleek bodies reminds me of Japanese hiragana alphabet.”
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You can enjoy the complete feature in Four&Sons, Issue Nine.
To buy a copy, click here
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Photography byandaMAN
@_wand_wand
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.
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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.
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ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
Spanish photographer Sara Monsalve strives to ‘capture your memories’—to immortalise the beauty, innocence and wisdom of our pets.
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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.
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JUMP FOR JOY
Photographer Rebecca Rinaldi knows that to capture a dog’s true essence, play is the key ingredient.
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PLAY DATE
An antidote to mass-produced dog accessories, MiaCara’s range of carefully crafted toys are designed to surprise, endure and delight.
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REALLY GOOD DOGS
Photographer Randal Ford’s fierce clarity draws dogs’ personality to the fore to reveal each animal’s “true essence”.
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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.
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POODLE ELITE
Jouk Oosterhof photographs Amsterdam’s beloved family members (with a dash of lifestyle accessory).
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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.
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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
