Published by The Ice Plant Los Angeles
Printed by Calff & Meischke, Amsterdam
In 2001, in the chaotic hours and days following the September 11 attacks, nearly one hundred trained search dogs and their handlers were deployed by FEMA to assist in the rescue efforts at the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. Enlisted from a network of 26 task forces in 18 states around the U.S., these dogs worked around the clock locating survivors in the rubble, alongside firemen and other teams sorting through the debris. At the time, Dutch photographer Charlotte Dumas, was intrigued by several newspaper photographs of the animals in action—a dog being transported in a stokes basket on cables suspended high over the wreckage; a dog intently searching while maneuvering over enormous bend beams; dogs receiving eye drops after and in between shifts—powerful, poignant images that stayed with her for years afterward. But what were the fates of these dogs once the rescue ended? Where were they now? In early 2011, nearing the ten year anniversary of the attacks, Dumas succeeded in locating and visiting 15 of these dogs, photographing them in and around their homes throughout the U.S., where they all still live with their handlers. In what has become Dumas' signature style—thoughtfully composed portraits, shot in medium format at close range—the photographs offer an intimate view into the everyday lives of these working dogs, united now in the vulnerability of old age as they were once united in a common purpose. Retrieved adds aunique and timely element to Dumas' ongoing exploration of the complex and often vital roles animals play in our lives.
Since 2002, Charlotte Dumas has worked excusively on photographic projects exploring the ways in which we use, define and relate to animals. Her work has been published in several previous volumes, including Al Lavoro! (2011), Repose (2010), Paradis (2009), Heart Shaped Hole (2008), Reverie (2006), and Day is Done (2005). She lives and works in Amsterdam and New York.
Printed by Calff & Meischke, Amsterdam
In 2001, in the chaotic hours and days following the September 11 attacks, nearly one hundred trained search dogs and their handlers were deployed by FEMA to assist in the rescue efforts at the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. Enlisted from a network of 26 task forces in 18 states around the U.S., these dogs worked around the clock locating survivors in the rubble, alongside firemen and other teams sorting through the debris. At the time, Dutch photographer Charlotte Dumas, was intrigued by several newspaper photographs of the animals in action—a dog being transported in a stokes basket on cables suspended high over the wreckage; a dog intently searching while maneuvering over enormous bend beams; dogs receiving eye drops after and in between shifts—powerful, poignant images that stayed with her for years afterward. But what were the fates of these dogs once the rescue ended? Where were they now? In early 2011, nearing the ten year anniversary of the attacks, Dumas succeeded in locating and visiting 15 of these dogs, photographing them in and around their homes throughout the U.S., where they all still live with their handlers. In what has become Dumas' signature style—thoughtfully composed portraits, shot in medium format at close range—the photographs offer an intimate view into the everyday lives of these working dogs, united now in the vulnerability of old age as they were once united in a common purpose. Retrieved adds aunique and timely element to Dumas' ongoing exploration of the complex and often vital roles animals play in our lives.
Since 2002, Charlotte Dumas has worked excusively on photographic projects exploring the ways in which we use, define and relate to animals. Her work has been published in several previous volumes, including Al Lavoro! (2011), Repose (2010), Paradis (2009), Heart Shaped Hole (2008), Reverie (2006), and Day is Done (2005). She lives and works in Amsterdam and New York.
