Zoo - Tapa dura

'Bewitching portraiture of zoo animals in silver and matt black.' (Attitude) 'A point forcefully made through outstanding photography.' (Amateur Photographer) 'Here is a book with almost no text, but full of unease and mystery...' (The Good Book Guide)

Britta Jaschinski's exquisite photographs owe their inspiration to portraiture rather than documentation, creating an atmosphere rather than making a statement. The animals in these photographs have a shadowy, almost enigmatic presence that excites our curiosity and draws us in to their world. Our glimpses of them tend to be partial and fragmentary - from a furry hand gripping an iron bar to dolphins floating just below the surface of a pool. Polar bears stare from a rocky stage, a zebra stands absolutely still and silent. All animals display a melancholy dignity, commanding a sense of respect in the viewer that is tinged with unease. Jaschinski's involvement and empathy is evident throughout, but she never allows it to intrude; instead she offers us an arresting series of pictures in a hauntingly mesmerizing book.