Bodwick
Mar-14-2005, 05:18 AM
From todays Telegraph....
Tim Flach is different from most photographers who specialise in taking pictures of animals. While most show them in their natural habitat, Flach brings them into his London studio, and the results are not far removed from conventional portraiture.
Monkey Eyes is a case in point. It is one of three photographs of Cinders the Macaque monkey that will be offered for sale by the Lupe Gallery from London at the Affordable Art Fair which opens in Battersea Park in the capital on Thursday and continues until Sunday. Each photograph is in a limited edition of 25 and is priced at £1,410 unframed or £1,560 framed.
"I wanted to reveal the anthropomorphic qualities in the animal - I was essentially interested in how we view the human in the animal," says Flach, who brings his subjects into such close focus that their expressions and gestures seem human.
This requires careful planning, as Flach says that it is difficult to predict an animal's mood and even the temperature in the studio has to be adjusted before they feel comfortable. Some may need to have a familiar handler nearby, while small creatures must be raised to human height to avoid feeling intimidated.
The lighting and focus have to be worked out in advance because, unlike human subjects, animals are unpredictable and cannot be made to hold a pose. Flach has to be able to press the shutter immediately when the animal displays certain gestures.
The Lupe Gallery, which specialises in photography, opened in 2002 in Ezra Street next to the Columbia Road flower market in the East End of London, and is one of 130 exhibitors at the Affordable Art Fair. The latter was founded six years ago by Will Ramsay, a former Army officer, who spotted a gap at the bottom end of the art market. All the art is priced under £3,000 and the event now takes place twice a year in London and annually in Bristol and New York
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2005/03/14/baobj14.xml
Tim Flach is different from most photographers who specialise in taking pictures of animals. While most show them in their natural habitat, Flach brings them into his London studio, and the results are not far removed from conventional portraiture.
Monkey Eyes is a case in point. It is one of three photographs of Cinders the Macaque monkey that will be offered for sale by the Lupe Gallery from London at the Affordable Art Fair which opens in Battersea Park in the capital on Thursday and continues until Sunday. Each photograph is in a limited edition of 25 and is priced at £1,410 unframed or £1,560 framed.
"I wanted to reveal the anthropomorphic qualities in the animal - I was essentially interested in how we view the human in the animal," says Flach, who brings his subjects into such close focus that their expressions and gestures seem human.
This requires careful planning, as Flach says that it is difficult to predict an animal's mood and even the temperature in the studio has to be adjusted before they feel comfortable. Some may need to have a familiar handler nearby, while small creatures must be raised to human height to avoid feeling intimidated.
The lighting and focus have to be worked out in advance because, unlike human subjects, animals are unpredictable and cannot be made to hold a pose. Flach has to be able to press the shutter immediately when the animal displays certain gestures.
The Lupe Gallery, which specialises in photography, opened in 2002 in Ezra Street next to the Columbia Road flower market in the East End of London, and is one of 130 exhibitors at the Affordable Art Fair. The latter was founded six years ago by Will Ramsay, a former Army officer, who spotted a gap at the bottom end of the art market. All the art is priced under £3,000 and the event now takes place twice a year in London and annually in Bristol and New York
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2005/03/14/baobj14.xml