Dog Shows, 2003
Giclée Prints, 22″ x 30″ “We have become a nation of canine connoisseurs.” – Jane Stern, Dog Eat DogIn the years following World War II, owning a purebred dog became a prerequisite of the good life, a symbol of social status and upward mobility. Currently, there are over 25 million purebred dogs registered in the United States and over two million of then compete against each other in American Kennel Club organized events. The hobby of showing dogs has become a national pastime.A suite of fourteen prints, these images chronicle thirteen years of my mother’s quest for super-stardom in the dog show arena. The formal arrangements of the photographs juxtaposed against floating circular fragmented details of the original picture create dueling narratives, suggesting mystery, danger or intrigue. These elements are all but nonexistent in the hobby of showing dogs and the lives of the families that are, by default, engaged in such activities.
