Beast of Burden 

Evidence of equine domestication dates back to 3500 BC. Taming horses changed human history, influencing everything from transport to agriculture to warfare. But in Western Culture, the strong bond between humans and horses has endured, long beyond economic necessity. They are widely represented in art and highly prized possessions and playthings.

The Beast of Burden series examines this relationship more closely, by looking at issues of distance and intimacy. Anonymous hides are literally stripped back and deconstructed, in an attempt to understand and reconstruct this close connection. 

The images do not contain immediately recognisable subjects. Equine mass, musculature and movement are depicted as a series of abstract contours. But on closer examination, they reveal more intimate moments-celebrations of texture, colour, light, and ultimately the spirit of these animals. I want to draw you closer. Make you linger. Touch their hides. Smell their breath. Feel their warmth.