The Spoken Word: Charlotte Dumas
Running, 2006 © Charlotte Dumas
Last year I took a visit to Printed Matter, a little bookshop on 10th avenue that specializes in Artist’s publications. While perusing the shelves I stumbled upon a series entitled “Reverie” by Charlotte Dumas. I was stricken by the intimacy she managed to imply while photographing this series of, mostly individual, wolf portraits. The series left me thinking, and also fell close to my heart because I grew up with an Alaskan Malamute (who was almost as big as I was). Dumas was kind enough to answer my questions and provide some tremendous insight into her working process.
- I’m interested in the cover image (see above) you chose for Reverie. It’s one of the
only times we see one of your subjects in motion, was there a particular
reason you chose this image?
It’s rare for me to show motion in my photography, I found that adding
this single image of action to the still portraits creates a better
balance in series altogether.
It’s often difficult to keep the tension in a series (especially with
photography). To prevent a series from being repetitive every image should
have it’s own individual value and be irreplaceable in context to the
other images in the series.
Therefore, in each of my series I usually use one or two images that give
a little more information concerning the subject matter, either by using
a different visual language for the image or by means of stepping back,
literally by taking more distance from my subject to show more of their
surroundings, this is the case with this particular image from the Reverie
series. In the Tiger Tiger series these images are ‘At Joe’s’ and ‘Tabby’ for example.
- You previously mentioned that most of the animals you photograph are in
captivity, either sanctuaries or parks, and yet there are very little
hints of that in the images. Even the landscapes do not look contrived as
is accustomed in places like zoos. Were you meaning to portray them as if
they were wild?
It was never my intention to portray them as if they were wild, however
when I started out photographing wolves, the locations I visited were
often spacious and I was still concentrating mostly on making portraits at
close range. On the large format photograph, as the one mentioned above, you
can see the fencing subtly in the back. It also addresses the way we want
(as viewers and humans) to see such animals, free and roaming or at least
the suggestion of it. The framing of photography is the excellent
manipulative tool to show only that.
In the Tiger Tiger series the confinements of the animals habitat are much
more dominantly present which to me was something I had to get used to
myself before I understood and saw the importance of these backdrops as
the context of my subject and their situation.
The challenge for me is to keep making portraits that in their
composition, appearance and concentration overrule the documentary
character of the subject in it’s artificial environment.
Untitled (Atka), 2006 © Charlotte Dumas
- How do you approach the assignment? e.g… Are the owners of the
sanctuaries apprehensive of your presence? How long do you stick with
each group of animals?
It usually takes quite some time and patience to get the contacts needed
before I’m able to make the travels to visit these places. The
‘human-animal world” as I’ve known it so far tends to be suspicious
towards outsiders. The Tiger Tiger project really became a project because
of that. In Texas and Indiana I found some great co-operation and
feedback. I later returned to these locations again to continue shooting
without the novelty of just having been able to portray them at close
distance.
There are plenty of locations and parks where you can photograph for a fee
via restricted guiding tours but I’m not interested in this commercial
side of these animal parks even though I’m not criticizing it in
principal. Some of the parks offer these tours and possibilities in order
to continue to take care of there animals.
I prefer working with the people of smaller facilities and building up
relationships and trust. I want to invest in spending time with my
subjects to study and observe in order to get a grip on it; that can’t be
achieved in an afternoon shoot. Usually it’s the places that are not
looking for commercial attention and away from the general public that I
end up with. In the end it’s just as well this relationship these people
have with the animals that interests me as the features of the animals
themselves, the whole phenomena of wild life being held captive or
preserved.
- I was amazed to find that you “produce between six to nine images a
year.” Are you very particular when shooting or do you have an exorbitant
amount of images from which you edit down?
I’d say it’s something in between. I don’t shoot a lot but after four to
six different travels it still adds up to quite a number of films so most
of the selecting is done by editing.
Untitled (B), 2006 © Charlotte Dumas
- Would you mind revealing some of the technical aspects of your process? I read that you are not using a telephoto lens and are shooting film. Any particular type of film that you
can’t live without?
I use a Mamiya 645 and have been inseparable from Fuji 400 H; a very
flexible film to work with. But I’m open to try new ones, for my current
series I ‘m working both with Fuji and a 400 Kodak film. The 645 gives a
large enough negative to blow up the photographs to the sizes I use to
exhibit but is still a light and sturdy enough camera to run around with.
- Thus far you have documented horses, wolves, and tigers. Is there any
connection? And where do you see yourself proceeding from here?
All the animals of my choice so far are animals extensively interpreted
and used either in symbolic or practical manners by mankind. They’re
charged with our projections. It’s this somehow one-sided relationship
between man and animal that interests me most.
At the moment I’m working on a series and book about the stray dogs of
Palermo. This book will be released coming October.
As for November I’ll be in NYC for most of the time, I’ll let you know
when the book is available there as well.
Please click here to see more from the “Reverie” series.
Michael George :: Aug.24.2008 :: Interviews, Photographers :: No Comments »