Community, Photography
SHARED EXPERIENCE
‘Don’t You Want Me’ documents the resilience of the LGBTQ community and their rescue dogs.
s READ MORE
CLOSE
CLOSE
SHARED EXPERIENCE
Storytelling is a medium that spans the ages. The narratives that are shared from one person to the next can have a lot of sway, a notion documentary photographers Jack Jackson and Deb Klein are tapping into with their ongoing project, ‘Don’t You Want Me.’ A portrait series centred around the beauty and resilience of LGBTQ people with their rescue dogs, DYWM was founded out of the duo’s “mutual desire for the silenced and marginalised to have their stories told and ultimately to be celebrated for what they could teach the rest of society.”
The two have combined their backgrounds—Jackson the queer and trans community and Klein the world of rescue dogs—to create images that, with each subject’s testimony attached, will hopefully influence a mainstream audience. “We want the world to see how beautiful these once ‘disposable’ people are,” says Jackson. And captured alongside their faithful pup, which has often experienced some of the same discriminatory hardships as their humans, shows how companionship can not only help people and animals survive, but flourish. “Seeing the love, compassion, kindness and brilliance shining out from the very people who get so much grief and abuse has changed me full stop,” adds Klein.
The emotionally charged accounts are so powerful, they plan to shoot in-depth video sessions with some of their participants for people to learn even more about their lives. For now, those in Toronto can watch the project grow in real time. Jackson and Klein have installed a DYWM outdoor banner exhibit at Cherry Beach Dog Park that will expand in size—and reach—as they photograph and share more stories.
—
Photography courtesy of Jack Jackson and Deb Klein
dontyouwantme.com
@dontyouwantmeproject
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...