Art Preview: The Silence Of Dogs In Cars @ Little Black Gallery

Tabish Khan
By Tabish Khan Last edited 132 months ago
Art Preview: The Silence Of Dogs In Cars @ Little Black Gallery
Prospero,  © Martin Usborne
Prospero, © Martin Usborne
Maus,  © Martin Usborne
Maus, © Martin Usborne
 Prince, © Martin Usborne
Prince, © Martin Usborne
Milo,  © Martin Usborne
Milo, © Martin Usborne
Hector,  © Martin Usborne
Hector, © Martin Usborne
Dasher,  © Martin Usborne
Dasher, © Martin Usborne

We've all seen dogs locked in cars, whether it's your own pet or someone else's. There's an in-built sympathetic reaction to seeing the abandoned and forlorn look on a dog's face, which tugs on the heart strings.

Martin Usborne is a photographer who's taken this scene and built on its emotional value to create set pieces of dogs in parked cars, which themselves appear to have been abandoned. By using evocative lighting and focussing on the dogs he asks visitors to ponder on what the animals are thinking; does the thought that its owner might not come back ever cross the dog's mind? By placing some of the subjects in the driver's seat, Usborne anthropomorphises the animals thus making them easier to identify with.

These photographs are beautifully shot and are designed to play on our emotions. It's this combination plus the unique subject matter that's likely to make this exhibition popular with visitors.

The Silence of Dogs in Cars is on at The Little Black Gallery, 13a Park Walk, SW10 0AJ from 19 March - 27 April. Admission is free.

Last Updated 12 March 2013