Exhibition Visit - Charlotte Dumas

I returned on Sunday from a flying visit to Paris, during which time I visited an exhibition by Dutch photographer, Charlotte Dumas.  On display were images from Dumas' series "Anima", in which she photographed horses at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.  She made the images by sitting at the stable doors as the animals were resting and going to sleep at night.  The photographs are displayed as large scale pieces, which when combined with the close-up nature in which they were shot makes them feel intimate and lifelike.







Also shown are the images from Dumas' "Retrieved" series in which she documents the dogs (now retired) who worked at the scene of the twin towers bombings, searching for survivors, bodies, and body parts.











I have commented on these images several times now, but each time I re-review this series I am always struck by the serenity and apparently stoical nature of the dogs.  They are almost like "old soldiers" but when I think of what they did in their working lives, it all seems to make sense.


I have decided to add my comprehensive review of this exhibition (which has been a contextual assignment):-

Charlotte Dumas, “Anima” at Institut Neerlandais, Paris. November 13^th 2012 until January 20^th 2013.

Exhibiting as part of Paris Photo 2012, Dutch photographer Charlotte Dumas brings together several series at the Instiut Neerlandais, under the title of “Anima”, which is the taken from her series depicting the burial horses of Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.  The images of these horses were captured whilst they were resting at night, and they are presented in the gallery as large prints.  Dumas sat by the stables of these animals over the course of 18 months and just waited as they fell asleep in order to capture the images in the series. (Dumas)

The horses are working animals whose task it is to transport the coffins of fallen servicemen, who have earned “full honours”.  They take part in up to eight funerals a day, year round.  (Friedman, 2012)

According to Paul Roth, curator at Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington D.C, the portraits contravene a photography “rule” never to photograph animals, as it usually evokes a romantic notion in the viewer. (Dumas C. R., 2012).  However, the images seen do not feel romantic or sentimental, but peaceful and with a vaguely hypnotic feeling.  Although shot in colour, the portraits have a monochrome feel to them, as the white hair of the horses gradually fades into the shadows of the stables where they rest.  The close up nature in which they have been shot gives an intimacy to the work, and this sense is further enhanced by the large-scale presentation.  There is a visible grain in the images, but this doesn’t seem to detract from their effectiveness in any way. 

Within this section of the exhibition is also a short video that simply shows the animals settling in their stables. As with the photographs, the feeling evoked is one of calmness and peace.  The lighting and colour palette are subtle and muted and the video and series of portraits together leave the viewer feeling a quiet serenity, and a respect for the relationship between these horses and the stricken men and women which they serve.

Rise Arlington National Cemetery VA 2012

Ringo Arlington National Cemetery VA 2012

Buck Arlington National Cemetery VA 2012.  From www.charlottedumas.nl

Moving through the white walled gallery the visitor can also view the “Retrieved” series, shot by Dumas in 2011.  This is another series of animal portraits, but this time the subjects are dogs who worked at the site of the twin towers bombings in 2001, searching for survivors, bodies and body parts.  Now retired, the 15 animals were photographed by Dumas in and around their homes in various locations around America.  The resulting images show elderly dogs who appear to be calm and stoical in nature, which, given the job that they performed in their working life, it can be assumed that that is the case.  In most cases the dogs appear to be watchful, as if surveying the wider area and taking in their environment.   Greying muzzles and scarred coats emphasise the advancing years of the subjects, and the composition, in which Dumas has been careful to include details of surroundings that they have been pictured in, reassure the viewer that not only did these dogs perform a valuable service with their handlers in their younger years, but that they are also experiencing a peaceful and fulfilling retirement, whether they are regally surveying a scene (like Moxie, Winthrop MA), or taking a cooling dip in a lake, as is Bailey of Franklin TN.

The composition of the photographs is interesting, as Dumas has positioned the dogs fairly centrally in the image. This has added strength to the series, through continuity.

One question that is raised in the mind of the observer regarding these images is: are these dogs exhibiting certain personality traits, or are we projecting our interpretation onto the dog, given that we know a little of their background?

A question that would only be possible to answer if the images were shown to a “blind “ observer, who had not encountered the photographs before.

For example, in the image of Orion (below), it could be suggested that the animal appears proud, as his head is held high, and it might be assumed that this is a pride that has originated from what he achieved during his working life.   A more feasible explanation is that here lies a dog, old and tired who is enjoying reclining in a few sparse rays of sun.  His raised head is probably more likely to be an inquisitive manoeuvre, as he regards an unfamiliar presence in his home (Dumas), or even as a response to a call or noise from the photographer.

 

Orion, Vacaville, CA. 2011

Guinness, Highland CA. 2011

Bailey, Franklin TN. 2011

Moxie, Winthrop MA. 2011

Dumas collected newspaper cuttings of pictures of the rescue dogs working at the site of the devastation as she felt a connection to them. 

“(The pictures) …gave a relief from all the disaster and the heavy weight of this event…”

  (Dumas C. , A Pictoral Tribute to the Search and Rescue Dogs of 9/11, 2011)

The dogs not only fulfilled their task of retrieval at the site, but also provided comfort to the firefighters working there.  In an interview with The Telegraph (Australia), Dumas recollects a story about Bretagne, a golden retriever, who comforted a firefighter in the rubble as he sat to catch his breath.  “Years later at a remembrance ceremony, the same fireman recognized Bretagne and her handler and they had a touching reunion” Dumas recalled.   (Edwards, 2011)

The photographs in this series are presented simply, float -mounted in black box frames.

Image taken from www.dailytelegraph.com.au  Photographer unknown.

“Retrieved” is a moving series of photographs, displayed in a quiet gallery on a Paris side street.  The images seem somewhat suited to the calm, understated environment in which they are shown.  Many people are dog owners or admirers, and virtually everyone remembers the horror of 11^th September 2001.  These facts in combination make this collection one that will surely strike a chord with most people, not only art-lovers or photographers, and evoke a feeling of gratitude to these animals who, by the nature of the species, live in the present – an attribute which enabled them to undertake what was required of them in 2001.

Bibliography

Dumas, C. (2011, September 10). A Pictoral Tribute to the Search and Rescue Dogs of 9/11. The Animal House. (S. Williams, Interviewer)

Dumas, C. R. (2012 йил 20-August). A photo homage to the working class ... of animals. The Picture Show. (E. Friedman, Interviewer)

Dumas, C. (n.d.). Work. Retrieved 2012 йил November from Charlotte Dumas: http://www.charlottedumas.nl/work/

Edwards, A. (2011, September 6). Super dogs of the 9/11 disaster. Retrieved November 2012, from the telegraph: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/indepth/super-dogs-of-the-911-disaster/story-fn9q99nk-1226130127996

Friedman, E. (2012 йил 18-August). Photo Homage to the Working Class ... of Animals. (NPR) Retrieved 2012 йил November from the picture show: http://www.npr.org/blogs/pictureshow/2012/08/18/159013613/a-photo-homage-to-the-working-class-of-animals