Stephanie Paine is currently showing a series of wonderful photographs entitled 'Pack/Sürü' at Kare Sanat Galerisi in Nişantaşı. Although she is aware that we are not an art site, Stephanie has nevertheless been kind enough to allow us to post her artist's statement (please read by clicking below) and some of her images on our blog. Thank you Stephanie!
Stephanie Paine'in 'Pack/Sürü' isimli süper fotoğraf serisi şu günlerde Kare Sanat Galerisinde sergilenmekte. Bir sanat sitesi olmadığımızı bildiği halde bize resimlerini ve sergi metnini (lütfen alttaki devam linkine tıklayın, sadece İngilizce ama...) paylaşma iznini verdiği için Stephanie'ye içtenlikle teşekkür ediyoruz.
Pack / Sürü
My initial perceptual experience when moving to Istanbul was one characterized by overload. The sheer amount of people, sounds, colors, and sites I received were so overwhelming at times that it was difficult to sort them out. And in so-doing, I realized that it wasn’t the differences that stuck with me, but rather the experiences that I could best relate to.
Always having a strong affinity for animals, I immediately recognized something that I had never seen before. Istanbul residents live seemingly unaffected by the packs of dogs and cats in the streets. There were no leashes to hold them back. There were no cages restricting them from the outside world. There were bowls filled with water and food attended by shop owners and street vendors. These animals appeared to live a somewhat natural, or as natural as could be, life; content in their packs of three or four, sprawling on the hot cement in the summers and seeking shelter in the corners of buildings during the winters. I was impressed by their relationship with the people and the people with them.
An online search about the topic of street dogs in Turkey shows outsiders are quick to dispel their anger about the government’s handling of them; citing poor shelter conditions and an overall disapproval with the neuter-and-release policy. Yet, this is not an isolated issue, and the act of killing stray animals is a wealthy, worldly business. I come from a country where stray animals are taught to be feared. They are removed from the streets, quite traumatically; and residents are urged to call animal control when they encounter any stray. The captured are reserved on an adoption list for a few weeks, but in the end are almost always euthanized. What I knew from my past was clashing with what I encountered in the present, and it was enlightening.
My photographic series Pack is an exploration of these street dogs. It is influenced by my experience living in Istanbul, by learned traits from my past, by the closest and dearest relationships I experienced with my pets, and by the current, copresence I practice with my dog. The photographs of the street dogs were taken with a pinhole camera. By removing the view finder, and, inherently, the act of seeing through the camera, I was able to build stronger relationships with my subjects (namely, lots of petting and ear scratching!). Movements of the camera during exposure capture details of the figure, but an overall distortion manifests. What remains is the essence of the dog.
Stephanie Paine, 2012
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