VIDA DE PERROS (A DOG’S LIFE) — Four&Sons

Four&Sons

Community, Photography

VIDA DE PERROS (A DOG’S LIFE)

Psychotherapist Marcela Lopecito is both active participant and bearing witness to the bond between dog owners and their pets.

s READ MORE
CLOSE

VIDA DE PERROS (A DOG’S LIFE)

WORDS BY Four&Sons

During the casual encounters with my neighbours in La Guindalera, Madrid, I became both active participant and bearing witness to the bond dog owners establish with their pets. As I got deeper into other people’s stories, I realised how, at present, many humans are turning to dogs instead of having children. We have decided to share our solitude with pets, and as our lives get closer to an end, dogs become the engine that extends our existence.

The neighbour who spends time on his dog’s every routine, like me, what is he about? Why a pit bull and not a Chihuahua? Did he choose the dog—or did the dog choose him? Hiding inside these superficial conversations to help break the ice, I imagine the presence of a deep bond. Sometimes, owners and dogs are naturally alike, they even imitate each other. Other times, however, humans project their fears, fantasies, and ideals onto animals. Many argue that in cities, animal owners are adults who don’t have, or cannot have, or don’t want to have, another person to love, when others, like American philosopher Ronald B. Levinson, counteracts the controversy stating “a dog is easier to love than most people I know.”

In Vida de Perros (A Dog’s Life), images and words balance each other. The portraits talk about the bond, while the still life images that support them are loaded with personal stories and symbols; they are objects that could be kept in a box, resisting the passing of time. I have always liked to collect the footprints that human beings leave behind. The proof of each step. Of the way we travel. In this project, I have captured many stories, being aware there are many more to photograph and write about. During my private search, I keep the written words entrusted by my neighbours, recorded in conversations at the park, and in their homes, as they show me part of their intimacy.

—
Marcela Lopecito is a psychotherapist living and working in Madrid.
All images courtesy of Marcela Lopecito

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.

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...