They’re not the most attractive breed of dogs, in fact, some would call them quite hideous. Photographer Sophie Gamand, of the Wet Dog and Flower Power series, is back and this time she’s pointing the camera at hairless dogs. She likens their faces to those of “old wise men or philosophers, shamans from a different era, maybe a different universe.” Focusing on two major hairless breeds, the Chinese Crested and the Xoloitzcuintli (or Mexican hairless dog), as well as mixed hairless dogs, she captures their portraits in a professional way. One can’t help but laugh at their goofy expressions.
“I worked with lots of Xolos from the dog show world. Show dogs are different than regular pets, so it was very challenging. For example, they don’t learn to sit because they should not sit in the ring during competitions. They don’t respond to stimuli the same way other pet dogs do.
“My work is always fun, at first, but I try to have deeper meaning to it as well. In this case, people react to the funny faces, the ugly faces (or what they think is ugly), but the series is also an interrogation: what do we do to nature, in this case, dog breeds? How can we manipulate breeds, animals, genetically and turn them into things, for our sole pleasure (that’s the case for Chinese Crested dogs). Nature does a beautiful job already (Xolos). This series invites the viewer to go beyond the funny faces.”
(Via: My Modern Met)