One-Dog Policy

I spent six years shooting dogs in Finland, Spain and the United Kingdom. During that time, my interest has increasingly turned to the social dimension of having a pet, and I've also come to reflect on the different roles we set up for our dogs. A pet represents both wilderness and a family member. They have turned into kind of special humans, full family members and childlike creatures. They are like us, but also different, others. The photos play with anthropomorphism, the habit of adding human characteristics to animals. The general perception of a portrait is that it should look like its subject and tell something essential about that person. In a dog's portrait the resemblance carries a different meaning: the portrait transforms into a comparison between dog and human appearance. The picture is not a reflection of a dog's personality, but of something that rather resembles a human being. The illusion of likeness leads to misinterpretation. The dogs are seen with human feelings. They become imaginary persons.