Sunday 19 April 2009

Home of the Lost and Found


I went to a private view yesterday at the unlikely venue of Birmingham Dogs Home. ‘Home for the Lost and Found’ was an exhibition of photographs by an artist friend, Elizabeth Lee. They were, at times very moving, portraits of the dogs at the Home that Liz had spent the last few months photographing. She faced all sorts of technical difficulties as she wasn’t allowed into the pens with the dogs, meaning she had to photograph through the small protective mesh in very gloomy light. The photographs were installed around the Home, so you were taken on this quite harrowing journey past all these dogs in their pens howling for your attention. It was quite an experience. I nearly came home with a particularly forlorn greyhound, before being pleased to see that they had been ‘reserved’ and would hopefully soon be finding themselves in a new home.



I used to teach Liz years ago when she studied for her HND Fine Art. It’s great to see her continuing to do such interesting work. Here’s a link to her website which is worth visiting ‘Stanley Dog of War’ for, and a recent feature in the Birmingham Post on her work. She makes some really interesting points that I share about the difficulties of being an artist in the West Midlands. The exhibition continues until the 16th May at Birmingham Dogs Home New Bartholomew Street Birmingham B5 5QS, Mon-Sat 11.00am-4.45pm
www.birminghamdogshome.org.uk

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