HELEN DAHL HANSEN

08: dogs on the street in India

large dog in bronze-glazed ceramics, sitting scratching its ear with its hind leg

 

close-up of head, front viewclose-up of head, side view

 

 

 

Puri - dog constantly scratching away the fleas on a beach in Puri, Orissa, stoneware, 2008, 53x56x50cm

 

 

The most recent series of dog sculptures were made
after a study trip to the south of India -Orissa and Tamil Nadu. Because of the relatively harsh way of life for dogs on the street in India, the dogs you see are often sick and dying or strong survivors - life and death emotions displayed on thin bodies showing either the skeleton underneath or strong lean muscles and scars from sickness and fights on the survivors. Interesting stuff for a sculptor.

 

puppy in dark bronze glazed ceramics, with its nose to the groundsame puppy viewed from the front

Pondy - puppy sniffing for food in Pondycherry, stoneware, 2008, 35x50x22cm

 

 

puppy in bronze glazed ceramics standing scratching itself with hind leg

 

 same puppy viewed from behind

Cherry - puppy scratching on the streets of Pondycherry, stoneware, 2008, 40x40x25cm

 

 

 dog lying on top of a wall with legs dangling, white glazed ceramic

 

close-up of headclose-up of head

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tranquebar - tired bitch resting on the walls of the fort at Tranquebar, stoneware, 2008, 60x45x40cm

 

 

 

puppy in dark bronze glazed ceramics, sleeping

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vajakulam - emaciated puppy on the streets of Vajakulam in Pondycherry, stoneware, 2008, 45x20x35cm

 

 

Somehow it didn't seem right to give these dogs brightly coloured glazes - covered in the dust of the road as they are - but in a country famed for its wonderful gilded decorations - a faded gold glaze seemed more appropriate - evoking both past glories and a somewhat tarnished reality.

 

large dog in dark bronze colour and patterned texture lying resting its head on one paw

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

frontal view

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

close-up of head

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tanjore - regal mystical dog encountered in the old capital of kings in Tamil Nadu, stoneware, 2008, 77x30x38cm

 

 

 

bitch with nursing puppy, done in shiny white glazed ceramics

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 same dog viewed from the front

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 same dog viewed from above

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Agra - bitch vigilant while nursing her puppy outside the Taj Mahal, stoneware, 2008, 48x48x33cm

 

back to the top of the page