2012-2018

The zoo is one of my favorite places to visit. Where else can you see these animals and learn about them? That is the purpose, of course. But zoos are more than that for the photographer: they are visual emotive treasure-houses. Some dark and obscured cages seem to harbor sad and lonely animals, or so I think. We can imagine vast savannas with lions, elephants, and zebras; but the zoo is not that. Are the animals psychologically affected by their restraining environment? Maybe, maybe not. All I know is what I see and photograph. My choices for images in this series emphasize the containment of animals in zoos by positioning fences between the camera and the animals, and embracing reflection from glass enclosures. This is a not-so-subtle reminder of the place of human and animal in the world. One seems to be created for service, and one for domination.