martin usborne: nice to meet you – portraits of abandoned dogs

nice to meet you: portraits of abandoned dogs by martin usborne‘well done’ 2013all images © martin usborne

what happens to those raw, painful parts of ourselves we hide away? the anger, confusion, uncertainty, hope? and what strategies do we use to hide these parts of ourselves? politeness, arrogance, speed, disinterest?

in the newest work by london-based artist martin usborne, the images in the collection entitled ‘nice to meet you’ capture dogs photographed through different mediums: a wet pane of glass, faint smoke, dense material, bleeding light. nearly all of the canines had either been previously abandoned, untrained, and aggressive (including a wolf). as with the previous series, ‘the silence of dogs in cars’, the man’s best friend reflects the unspoken, instinctive side of human nature. along with some other animals, they have the ability to communicate certain feelings most directly even though they have no words.

‘I’m fine’ 2013

‘I love you’ 2013

( left ) ‘nice to meet you’ 2013, ( right ) ‘you look great’ 2013

( left ) ‘it was a long time ago’ 2013, ( right ) ‘it’s OK’ 2013

( left ) ‘I also work at the bank’ 2013, ( right ) ‘I agree’ 2013