Human-dog relationship goes back many tens of thousands of years and has become an exemplar of a long-lasting symbiosis. From guarding livestock, being jolly best friends, providing therapeutic support, signaling social status, to performing as state-of-the-art security assistance, much of dog’s beloved abilities cannot come to be without us. And by the same token, we humans would also likely be very different without dogs and the relationship we have with them. They are our oldest and most real friends.
Despite the fact that dogs are universally adored, photographer Tim Flach invites us to move beyond the celebration of our affections for the species and urges us to think about the very meaning of dogs —what they have been and may have become for us. In his photography series “Dogs Gods“, he focuses on the ever-changing relationship between dogs and humans through the diversity of dog breeds, revealing how their forms and capabilities provide a mirror to human development and identity over millions of years.
Tim’s interest in dogs arose from the unique relationship that humans have with this species and the myriad ways in which these animals have entered our lives, our homes, and even our language, and even talk about “being dog tired”, or “suffering from the black dog”. To him, by looking closely at all the breeds we have now, we may not only understand them better but also understand something new about ourselves as well.
Tim Flach is an animal photographer with an interest in the ways humans shape animals and shape their meaning while exploring the role of imagery in fostering an emotional connection. Bringing to life the complexity of the animal kingdom, his work ranges widely across species, united by a distinctive stylisation reflecting an interest in how we better connect people to the natural world. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from University of the Arts London in 2013. Tim lives and works in London with his wife and son.
Visit Tim’s website and see more of his photographs including stunning series such as Equus (2008), a body of work focusing on the horse and Endangered (2017), a powerful document of species on the edge of extinction. You can also follow Tim on Instagram or visit his Cherydeck profile here. ?
