WOOF is a wonderful tribute to the dogs that enrich our lives in so many ways. It is obvious that Elliott Erwitt has a particular affinity for these unique creatures, and his masterful depictions are filled with love and gentle humour. As Trudi Styler notes in her foreword to the book, Elliott's photographs convey the special nature of dogs, whatever the breed. He is 'a dog person', and it shows.The dogs pictured in WOOF include the aristocratic and the humble, the elegant and the scruffy, the aloofly cool and the exuberantly involved. Sometimes their humans are pictured with them, illustrating that special relationship that we develop with no other type of animal. But it is the dog that is given centre-stage - sometimes demanding it, sometimes bashful and sometimes indifferent.
WOOF is a wonderful tribute to the dogs that enrich our lives in so many ways. It is obvious that Elliott Erwitt has a particular affinity for these unique creatures, and his masterful depictions are filled with love and gentle humour. As Trudi Styler notes in her foreword to the book, Elliott's photographs convey the special nature of dogs, whatever the breed. He is 'a dog person', and it shows.The dogs pictured in WOOF include the aristocratic and the humble, the elegant and the scruffy, the aloofly cool and the exuberantly involved. Sometimes their humans are pictured with them, illustrating that special relationship that we develop with no other type of animal. But it is the dog that is given centre-stage - sometimes demanding it, sometimes bashful and sometimes indifferent.
Elliott Erwitt was born in France of Russian emigre parents in 1928. His formative years were spent in Italy. At the age of 10 he moved with his family to France afterward immigrating to the United Stated in 1939, settling in New York for two years then transferring to Los Angeles.In the 80's Erwitt produced seventeen comedy and satire television programs for HOME BOX OFFICE. From the 90's to the present he continues to lead a remarkably varied professional life encompassing many disparate aspects of photography. While actively working for magazine, industrial and advertising clients Erwitt devotes all his spare time toward creating books and exhibitions of his work destined for galleries and museums. To date he is the author of 18 photography books.
Many of these pictures will make you smile, and some will make you laugh, but this is more than just a collection of cute doggie pix. They are portraits in the full sense of the word: whether posed or impromptu, each image reveals something true about a particular dog or about dogs in general. Erwitt, a veteran photographer and member of Magnum, offers simple truths: "Living with a dog is messy"; "A dog teaches a boy fidelity." His pooches, in all shapes and sizes, are pensive and playful, reflective and active; they zestfully leap into a lake or lie belly up in a grassy field, enjoying a lovely day. Unlike William Wegman's dog photos, Erwitt's don't rely on props or costumes, though two supercool Dalmatians in goggles do make an arresting pair. Even if you're not a dedicated dog lover, this book will charm you. Woof! (Dec.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
Anyone who has owned a dog will rejoice in this wonderful collection of canine candids. Erwitt is a master photographer, as his years at Magnum can attest, and here captures a subject very close to his heart. The images are funny and touching, silly and moving: an elegant lady clad in modish clothes, holding the leashes of an ascending array of dogs and with a "pooper scooper" dangling from her hand like the most current trend in handbags; an Alsatian held by a man with a mask that resembles the dog's face (does one really begin to look like one's pet?); and, of course, the eternal dog vs. cat image. Some dog owners' favorite stories are included in the introduction by Trudie Styler, but it's Erwitt's photographs that tell the entire tale. With the eye of an artist and the soul of a dog lover, he provides a glimpse into the eons-long relationship between humans and their dogs. A charming book for all dog lovers and for those ready to be converted.-Paula Frosch, Metropolitan Museum of Art Lib., New York Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
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