Perhaps because I’ve seen so many serious photographs of hounds in kennels, I was arrested and amused by this whimsical print by Emily Robards, daughter of a well-known huntsman and author. Emily’s dad has hunted hounds in Ireland and in North America, and Emily has whipped-in to him and spent most of her younger years in or near the kennels. I asked her to tell us about her art.
“Your Human Faces Are Showing” by Emily Robards
I am a visual artist who works in a variety of media such as photography, printmaking, collage, embroidery and paint. My work draws from dreams and memories, linking the spiritual, human, and animal worlds together with an underlining narrative of innocence and the uncanny. The work arises from the self, drawing from my past, while trying to take control of the present. I also work a lot with vintage photographs and text combining them to create new narratives.
The piece, “Your Human faces are Showing,” is a seven-colour limited edition screen print, approximately 11.4 x 8 cm. The print is slightly off register so they are not all exactly the same, which is called a print variable.
The print is based on an old photo my grandmother took of the County Limerick Foxhounds. The piece started out as a doodle in my sketchbook a few years ago, and stayed that way until my last year of college when I made it into a print. The drawing is relaxed, almost comical. I wasn’t worried about it being exact or anatomically correct. This relaxed idea towards the drawing I feel is what makes it a success.
In this piece you will see that the hounds faces are not right; they are warped and a bit deformed, their features morphing into a human form. I have always appreciated the foxhound as an individual, knowing each of their personalities and what makes them tick. To me hounds are like children, and anyone who has grown up and lived in a kennel with a pack of hounds will understand and appreciate this. I wanted this to come across in the work. I want people to realise and appreciate the individuality and how human and loving hounds can be. Without the happy individuals that you understand, respect, and appreciate as much as your own children, you cannot and will not have a happy and successful pack of foxhounds.
Commission by Emily RobardsI do not work solely with the theme of the foxhound or foxhunting, but because it is a major part of my life and who I am it always continues to appear in my work. I have just recently graduated from Limerick School of Art and Design were I received a first class honours degree in Printmaking and Contemporary Practice. I am continuing to make work but hope to go on and receive my Masters in the arts.
Posted September 25, 2014
See more of Emily’s work on her website.