for his "Mute" series
Statement:
"I was once left in a car at a young age.
I don't know when or where or for how long, possibly at the age of four, perhaps outside Tesco's, probably for fifteen minutes only. The details don't matter. The point is that I wondered if anyone would come back. It seems trivial now but in a child's mind it is possible to be alone forever.
Around the same age I began to feel a deep affinity with animals - in particular their plight at the hands of humans. I remember watching TV and seeing footage of a dog being put in a plastic bag and being kicked. What appalled me most was that the dog could not speak back. It's muteness terrified me.
I should say that I was a well-loved child and never abandoned and yet it is clear that both these experiences arose from the same place deep inside me: a fear of being alone and unheard. Perhaps this is a fear we all share at some level, I am not sure.
The images in this series explore that feeling, both in relation to myself and to animals in general. The camera is the perfect tool for capturing a sense of silence and longing: the shutter freezes the subject for ever and two layers of glass are placed between the viewer and the viewed: the glass of the lens, the glass of the picture frame and, in this instance, the glass of the car window further isolates the animal. The dog is truly trapped.
When I started this project I knew the photos would be dark. What I didn't expect was to see so many subtle reactions by the dogs: some sad, some expectant, some angry, some dejected. It was as if upon opening up a box of grey-coloured pencils I was surprised to see so many shades inside.
I hope that these pictures are engaging and perhaps a little amusing. I want to show that there is life in the dark places within us.
I will stop writing now and you can stop reading. Words can only get us so far. After all, we are all animals."
I chose this work mostly for the artist's statement, specifically the text in bold italics. I think this is a perfect example of projection. The artist is projecting his own emotional response to being left in a car as a child onto the dogs. He gave these dogs specific emotions and feelings. While animals are capable of feeling, he has no way of knowing how each of these dogs actually feel when they are left in the car. He assumes human expressions to these animals. Its easy to make those assumptions, especially when we feel sympathy for an animal but I think its a very idealized and sentimental project. There are problems inherent in this series. I wonder if he got away with this without major criticism.
Bio:
"Martin lives in central London where he has his photographic studio.
He started his photographic career after a number of years working as a creative director in children's TV (which included dressing up as a furry white alien). Before that he studied psychology at Edinburgh University and then animation at Glasgow School of Art.
Martin thinks there is something magical about looking through the lens and capturing a bit of the world. 'You see an interesting array of shapes - people passing in front of a strangely coloured wall and -click- its yours forever. Its so easy it shouldn't be allowed'.
When Martin isn't photographing he is either rockclimbing (he is too heavy to pull himself up), meditating (he can't do the full lotus because he has bad knees) or he is writing his novel (he is stuck on chapter 3 - not having finished Ch.s 1 or 2).
If you care to know more about Martin's work then please go to the portfolio section and look at the 'projects' link. If you are interested in Martin's meandering thoughts you might enjoy the blog and for information on upcoming exhibitions keep an eye on the news section on the front page."
He is not represented by any galleries. However, here is a list of some recent exhibitions of his work:
2010: MUTE: photographs of dogs in cars, theprintspace, Londo, (solo show)
Large scale prints of dogs looking out of car windows shot at night. Solo show at theprintspace, East London.
2009: Taylor Wessing award, the National Portrait Gallery, London, (group show)
Portrait selected for Taylor-Wessing award in the National Portrait Gallery, London. "Tiger, Rag, Johnny and Emma"
2009:'Unordinary People', PYMCA youth culture portraits, Royal Albert Hall, (group show)
Portraits from nightclub series selected for group show to represent PYMCA image library at the Albert Hall.
2008:'I've lived in Hoxton 81 1/2 years', Candid Arts Gallery, London, (solo show)
Portraits and words about Joseph Markovitch, the original face of Hoxton
2008: Boombox, Beto Reginik Studios, Sao Poalo, Brazil (group show)
Portraits from the infamous Hoxton nightclub, presented in Sao Paulo alongside photographer Beto Riginik
Website: http://www.martinusborne.com/index.php?page=home
Reviews:
MUTE Exhibition by Martin Usborne. http://dog-milk.com/mute-exhibition-by-martin-usborne/ 10 September 2010.
Forlorn Pet Photography. http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/martin-usborne 23 September 2010.
I'm disappointed in all the reviews I read. People are suckers for cheesy, cliched well photographed pet portraits. Once they're romanticized people tend to become blind followers of the work. All they can see is this "tugging at my heart strings" (insert emotion here) pet. In this case, a dog who is experiencing heartbreaking loneliness and is expressing it just like a human would. One of the authors actually stated in their review "Who can say they're not an "animal person"?" Its like this work or the pets themselves hypnotized them.
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