The first pictures were born from sheer wish to look into a dog's jaws from a closer distance than I ever had dared. Making of these pictures has been plain and smooth, and enriched by new discoveries. In some way innocent, too. Until I grew more aware of the allegorical nature of the work and begun working in a more planned manner.

The dogs in these photographs may seem to reveal their true characters. However me, the photographer, have grabbed features that I recognize in human beings and I can't say that I would really have known my models – with only a few exceptions. Not so innocent anymore. Yes, I was building up a "dog show", but at the same time it would be a project which will tell at least as much of us humans and of the society we have built. One of the first visitors in the exhibition pointed at one of the pictures saying "That is me".


Henrik Duncker