David Yarrow
A Ship Called Dignity
2017

About the Item

Archival Pigment Print on 315gsm Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta Paper Each is signed, dated and numbered on the front. Edition size: 12 Available sizes: 48 x 63 inches 67 x 90 inches All prints are on 315gsm Hahnemühle photo rag Baryta paper and varnished after processing to give both endurance and sheen. Each is signed, dated and numbered on the front. Price includes David Yarrow's custom black ash frame, white archival matting and protective UV acrylic. For unframed, $1,500 will be deducted from the price. David Yarrow has built an unrivaled reputation for capturing the beauty of the planet’s remote landscapes, cultures and endangered animals. Born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1966, he is an internationally acclaimed fine art photographer and Europe’s best selling wildlife photographer. "Great photographs implicitly should be rare. They tend to be moments in time that can never be repeated. I have said – on record – that an affirming year for me would be three or more cracking images, but I recognise that this is actually still a demanding target, because for an image to transcend at every level requires a material amount of luck as well as creative courage and technical fluency. I cannot judge my own work but equally I always know what is mundane and I will always remain my greatest critic. Photographers can be reluctant to acknowledge how boring much of their work can be, but this is an area in which I have learnt. In my mind, if a contemporary photograph is sufficiently powerful in content and evocative in light and line to be looked at for a long time, there is a chance that it has something which is art – not reportage. But there is a third variable needed to elevate an image to a higher pantheon – the dynamic of relevance. This is the most elusive of the “Holy Trinity” of factors I strive to attain. Wildlife portraits, for instance, no matter how threatened the animal in question might be to extinction, often fall down on this criterion. Such images can be immersive and visually compelling on the one hand – but lacking in a broader contemporary narrative on the other. Last December, inspired by some aerial footage taken by the renowned Canadian photographer Ed Burtynsky, I first started exploring the ground level creative possibilities in Makoko, the largely inaccessible floating slum town aside Lagos. Ground level is actually an oxymoron as there is no ground to speak of in what Burtynsky himself called the “hyper-crucible of globalisation”. Further encouraged by a US collector to go into this formidable hotbed of wood stilt shacks and truly test myself, we began our due diligence. To enter Makoko is emphatically “the road less travelled” and even the Nigerian Government do not seemingly have the answer as to how many people live there – it could be 100,000 but it could be 200,000. It may be dubbed the “Venice of Africa” – but with huge irony, there is no wealth or sophistication here, ostensibly just poverty, crime, sewage and waste. As a result of my kids’ schooling in London, a few Nigerians are now family friends and they laid the foundation of access. Makoko is not safe – it is effectively a no go zone for the “Yevo” or white man. Last Saturday, I had my audience with Makoko’s Chief Aladaton and my team’s safety was personally guaranteed. It was one of the most surreal and humbling hours of my life. Later in the week, I think we got what we came for. This image that can be looked at for a long time – like my Mankind shot from 2014, there is a great deal going on. Just with that Dinka community, smoke is integral to the way of life in Makoko, but for different reasons. In the slum, they cook on coal and my preconception was that the resultant smoke had to play an integral role in the image. The end result is better than I could conceivably have imagined when we embarked on the planning in December. But then again what of the aforementioned relevance? At a time when globalisation is being overrun by nationalism and regional elitism, I think this image showcases both the beauty and dignity of black West Africa. I accept that there is an element of reductionism in terms of looking at a very complex place through a portrayal of strong facial aesthetic and personal dignity. But that was the story I wanted to tell. The world does not need another hackneyed “poor Makoko” story – least of all the Chief and his understudies. I intentionally focused on the two central characters in the lead boat – they may have 30 years between them, but either could walk on to a Hollywood film set tomorrow. It is my creative right to choose the ideal subjects for the narrative, but they were representative of the physical beauty that personifies many of the inhabitants of the community. The world may see Makoko as marginalised and irrelevant, but the inhabitants do not appear to see it that way. I saw no sense of self-pity – just resolve and family values. Globalisation has not helped the slum, so its faltering premise has no consequence. Of course, family life goes on for both the rich and the poor in Lagos irrespective of changeable ideological currents within G7 countries. There is an uncomfortably patronising undertone to much of today’s politics of nationalism and the image is a gentle reminder that human dignity is not exclusive to international communities of affluence. Aligned to this is the importance of showing and earning respect in alien cultures. We were safe in Makoko, partly because we visited the Chief and showed him respect, as well as dollars. Equally, in the build up to this photograph, we showed all the respect we could to the many hundreds of people that surrounded us. I was chest deep in some of the dirtiest water in the world – with unimaginable things floating past my face. With no one of our skin colour probably within a radius of five miles of our location (and this is fifth biggest city in the world) it would be excusable to be tense. That never works and throughout the day, we kept our dignity and manners and mostly just smiled. We probably earnt Makoko’s respect and trust – and after that, all was good. Trust is a gel that works both ways – we were even clapped at the end of the day. I will leave others to decide whether this picture has that “Holy Trinity”. I see beauty in it, rather than a vignette of a dark slum and when I returned to Makoko and showed the picture to the Chief, he warmly embraced me. On this occasion, he was perhaps the critic that mattered." -David Yarrow

Creator:
David Yarrow (1966, Scottish)
Creation Year:
2017
Dimensions:
Height: 48 in (121.92 cm)Width: 64 in (162.56 cm)
Medium:
Archival Pigment
Movement & Style:
Contemporary
Period:
21st Century
Condition:
Gallery Location:
Chicago, IL
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU38831720373
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David Yarrow

David Yarrow, born 1966 in Scotland, took up photography at an early age, as a 20-year-old he found himself working as a photographer for The London Times on the pitch at the World Cup Final in Mexico City. On that day, he took the sensationalized picture of Diego Maradona holding the World Cup and, as a result, was subsequently asked to cover the Olympics and numerous other high profile sporting events.

Many years later, Yarrow established himself as a fine art photographer by documenting the natural world from new perspectives and recent years have been career-defining for his mark on the world of contemporary fine art photography.

Yarrow’s evocative and immersive photography of life on earth is most distinctive and has earned him an ever-growing following among art collectors and celebrities. His distinct large monochrome images made in Los Angeles are on display in leading galleries and museums across Europe and North America. Yarrow is now recognized as one of the best-selling fine art photographers in the world and his limited edition works regularly sell at high prices at Sotheby’s and other auction houses.

In September 2019, Rizzoli published their second book by Yarrow, with a personal foreword written by global NFL star Tom Brady and thoughtful afterword written by American cultural icon and supermodel Cindy Crawford. All royalties from the book have been donated to conservation charities Tusk in the UK and WildAid in the US.

Yarrow's position in the industry has been rewarded with a wide range of advisory and ambassadorial roles. He is an ambassador for WildArk and The Kevin Richardson Foundation and is the European ambassador for Nikon. Yarrow has been integral to Nikon's most anticipated camera release of the last decade. In December 2017, he shot LVMH’s latest “Don’t Crack Under Pressure” campaign with Cara Delevingne. In January 2019, he was appointed as a global ambassador for UBS. In the spring of 2020, Yarrow was appointed a global ambassador for Best Buddies – one of America’s most established children’s charities.

Yarrow became an ambassador for the African Community and Conservation Foundation and presented his work in the Endangered Rangers virtual fundraiser. At the start of 2020, Yarrow was in Australia documenting the devastating bush fires that have destroyed communities, wildlife and wildlands. Using the striking images that he captured of the effects of the fire, he launched the #KoalaComeback Campaign to support the recovery efforts in Australia. The campaign raised over $1.4 million, and as Yarrow continues to work for humanitarian causes, his steadfast determination continues to make positive change for the benefit of global awareness. Currently, Yarrow continues to create stunning imagery with lasting global impact and archival quality that speaks to his reverence for the art of photography in capturing the wonders of the world.

Find a collection of original David Yarrow photography on 1stDibs.