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David Yarrow
A Ship Called Dignity

2017

Price Upon Request
Price Upon Request
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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:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Chicago, IL
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU38831720373

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New Testament (B&W)
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NEW TESTAMENT South Sudan, 2022 Archival Pigment Print on 315gsm Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta Paper Each is signed, dated and numbered on the front. Edition Size: 12 Available sizes: 37 x 80 inches 49 x 114 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 now an internationally acclaimed fine art photographer and Europe’s best selling wildlife photographer. "In retrospect, my photograph Mankind, taken in South Sudan in 2014, was a stepping stone in my career. It was authentic, it had a biblical scale to it and could be looked at for a long time. Haunting and hellish one minute and serene and ethereal the next. Mankind elicited an emotional reaction despite how foreign the subject matter was. The editions of the picture sold out quickly and the hammer price at Sotheby’s of $78,000 was then a record for my work. Since 2014, awareness of my art has grown materially, and I am sure this powerful image has played a role. It was taken at a dangerous time in South Sudan’s short history and recently, during 2019 and 2020, the violence got worse. It simply was not safe for foreigners as many areas were loosely governed and guns were round every corner. It was sketchy at best and downright toxic at worst. But since 2021, some calm has returned and tribal skirmishes in the cattle camps are now less common. I thought it was time to return. After all, I’d had eight years to think about what I could do differently. Cameras have certainly improved, and I have a further eight years of experience under my belt. I also had maintained contacts in South Sudan, in particular with those in charge of the large cattle camps to the south of Rumbek. This is no place to go without inside help, security protection and best in class field logistics. There must be a plan and there must be attention to detail. But I knew it would be a mistake to go back and try to copy what I did eight years ago; it would hint at a lack of creative progression and courage. I needed to do better and offer a new story, to go backwards would be damaging at many levels. I had been preoccupied by that fear for some time and I knew that I had to be bold. The Lakes areas of South Sudan are just about on a map, but way off the grid for most. It is the most basic of existences and the only material source of employment is the cattle camps. In 2014, I filmed near the town of Yirol in a camp on a Nile tributary, but this time I wanted to travel further into the interior and find an even bigger camp on the way to Rumbek. My premise was to play on scale and my leaning was always to go bigger not smaller. I am always greedy in the field. The Dinka tribe are the world’s tallest people, their cattle camps are the biggest of their kind and the cattle horns are Jurassic. This is a place to play on the word “big”. My picture, Mankind, had novelty factor because it delivered such an emphatic sense of scale and place. Whilst I was nervous of treading old ground, familiarity is a friend not a foe, that’s why we often use the same talent in our storytelling. I needed to go one step further than I had in 2014, without losing any small individual stories within the image. My sense was that there needed to be even more of a visual overload in the frame and I found it difficult in my preconceptions to escape from the word “panoramic”. The local chiefs and the head of police knew where to take me and my security detail knew how to keep me safe. I would go into largely unchartered land where the Dinka had established a camp of over 10,000 cattle. I have often thought that a photographer in the last eight years would go and try and take their own version of Mankind, but I haven’t seen any. Every week I see monochrome photographs of the big elephants of Kenya, many embracing a ground up approach and then the prints are framed in black wood with a white mount, edition number on left, signature on right. All come with a nice little narrative. Some of this work is excellent, but I think the market may be a little saturated. I am reminded of Warren Buffett’s wonderful prompt, “if you see a bandwagon, you have missed it”. But no work is coming from South Sudan and I think I know why. The simple question is where on earth does a first-time visitor start on the logistics? With East African wildlife, all a photographer needs are a jeep, a guide and some nice camera gear and away they go. Sundowners in their $400 a night camp at 6.30pm and then 1000 photos to download. I am not sure Anthony Bourdain...
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New Testament (B&W)
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NEW TESTAMENT South Sudan, 2022 Archival Pigment Print on 315gsm Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta Paper Each is signed, dated and numbered on the front. Edition Size: 12 Available sizes: 37 x 80 inches 49 x 114 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 now an internationally acclaimed fine art photographer and Europe’s best selling wildlife photographer. "In retrospect, my photograph Mankind, taken in South Sudan in 2014, was a stepping stone in my career. It was authentic, it had a biblical scale to it and could be looked at for a long time. Haunting and hellish one minute and serene and ethereal the next. Mankind elicited an emotional reaction despite how foreign the subject matter was. The editions of the picture sold out quickly and the hammer price at Sotheby’s of $78,000 was then a record for my work. Since 2014, awareness of my art has grown materially, and I am sure this powerful image has played a role. It was taken at a dangerous time in South Sudan’s short history and recently, during 2019 and 2020, the violence got worse. It simply was not safe for foreigners as many areas were loosely governed and guns were round every corner. It was sketchy at best and downright toxic at worst. But since 2021, some calm has returned and tribal skirmishes in the cattle camps are now less common. I thought it was time to return. After all, I’d had eight years to think about what I could do differently. Cameras have certainly improved, and I have a further eight years of experience under my belt. I also had maintained contacts in South Sudan, in particular with those in charge of the large cattle camps to the south of Rumbek. This is no place to go without inside help, security protection and best in class field logistics. There must be a plan and there must be attention to detail. But I knew it would be a mistake to go back and try to copy what I did eight years ago; it would hint at a lack of creative progression and courage. I needed to do better and offer a new story, to go backwards would be damaging at many levels. I had been preoccupied by that fear for some time and I knew that I had to be bold. The Lakes areas of South Sudan are just about on a map, but way off the grid for most. It is the most basic of existences and the only material source of employment is the cattle camps. In 2014, I filmed near the town of Yirol in a camp on a Nile tributary, but this time I wanted to travel further into the interior and find an even bigger camp on the way to Rumbek. My premise was to play on scale and my leaning was always to go bigger not smaller. I am always greedy in the field. The Dinka tribe are the world’s tallest people, their cattle camps are the biggest of their kind and the cattle horns are Jurassic. This is a place to play on the word “big”. My picture, Mankind, had novelty factor because it delivered such an emphatic sense of scale and place. Whilst I was nervous of treading old ground, familiarity is a friend not a foe, that’s why we often use the same talent in our storytelling. I needed to go one step further than I had in 2014, without losing any small individual stories within the image. My sense was that there needed to be even more of a visual overload in the frame and I found it difficult in my preconceptions to escape from the word “panoramic”. The local chiefs and the head of police knew where to take me and my security detail knew how to keep me safe. I would go into largely unchartered land where the Dinka had established a camp of over 10,000 cattle. I have often thought that a photographer in the last eight years would go and try and take their own version of Mankind, but I haven’t seen any. Every week I see monochrome photographs of the big elephants...
Category

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New Testament (Monochrome)
By David Yarrow
Located in Chicago, IL
NEW TESTAMENT South Sudan, 2022 Archival Pigment Print on 315gsm Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta Paper Each is signed, dated and numbered on the front. Edition Size: 12 Available sizes: 37 x 80 inches 49 x 114 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 now an internationally acclaimed fine art photographer and Europe’s best selling wildlife photographer. In retrospect, my photograph Mankind, taken in South Sudan in 2014, was a stepping stone in my career. It was authentic, it had a biblical scale to it and could be looked at for a long time. Haunting and hellish one minute and serene and ethereal the next. Mankind elicited an emotional reaction despite how foreign the subject matter was. The editions of the picture sold out quickly and the hammer price at Sotheby’s of $78,000 was then a record for my work. Since 2014, awareness of my art has grown materially, and I am sure this powerful image has played a role. It was taken at a dangerous time in South Sudan’s short history and recently, during 2019 and 2020, the violence got worse. It simply was not safe for foreigners as many areas were loosely governed and guns were round every corner. It was sketchy at best and downright toxic at worst. But since 2021, some calm has returned and tribal skirmishes in the cattle camps are now less common. I thought it was time to return. After all, I’d had eight years to think about what I could do differently. Cameras have certainly improved, and I have a further eight years of experience under my belt. I also had maintained contacts in South Sudan, in particular with those in charge of the large cattle camps to the south of Rumbek. This is no place to go without inside help, security protection and best in class field logistics. There must be a plan and there must be attention to detail. But I knew it would be a mistake to go back and try to copy what I did eight years ago; it would hint at a lack of creative progression and courage. I needed to do better and offer a new story, to go backwards would be damaging at many levels. I had been preoccupied by that fear for some time and I knew that I had to be bold. The Lakes areas of South Sudan are just about on a map, but way off the grid for most. It is the most basic of existences and the only material source of employment is the cattle camps. In 2014, I filmed near the town of Yirol in a camp on a Nile tributary, but this time I wanted to travel further into the interior and find an even bigger camp on the way to Rumbek. My premise was to play on scale and my leaning was always to go bigger not smaller. I am always greedy in the field. The Dinka tribe are the world’s tallest people, their cattle camps are the biggest of their kind and the cattle horns are Jurassic. This is a place to play on the word “big”. My picture, Mankind, had novelty factor because it delivered such an emphatic sense of scale and place. Whilst I was nervous of treading old ground, familiarity is a friend not a foe, that’s why we often use the same talent in our storytelling. I needed to go one step further than I had in 2014, without losing any small individual stories within the image. My sense was that there needed to be even more of a visual overload in the frame and I found it difficult in my preconceptions to escape from the word “panoramic”. The local chiefs and the head of police knew where to take me and my security detail knew how to keep me safe. I would go into largely unchartered land where the Dinka had established a camp of over 10,000 cattle. I have often thought that a photographer in the last eight years would go and try and take their own version of Mankind, but I haven’t seen any. Every week I see monochrome photographs of the big elephants...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Black and White Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

New Testament (Monochrome)
By David Yarrow
Located in Chicago, IL
NEW TESTAMENT South Sudan, 2022 Archival Pigment Print on 315gsm Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta Paper Each is signed, dated and numbered on the front. Edition Size: 12 Available sizes: 37 x 80 inches 49 x 114 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 now an internationally acclaimed fine art photographer and Europe’s best selling wildlife photographer. In retrospect, my photograph Mankind, taken in South Sudan in 2014, was a stepping stone in my career. It was authentic, it had a biblical scale to it and could be looked at for a long time. Haunting and hellish one minute and serene and ethereal the next. Mankind elicited an emotional reaction despite how foreign the subject matter was. The editions of the picture sold out quickly and the hammer price at Sotheby’s of $78,000 was then a record for my work. Since 2014, awareness of my art has grown materially, and I am sure this powerful image has played a role. It was taken at a dangerous time in South Sudan’s short history and recently, during 2019 and 2020, the violence got worse. It simply was not safe for foreigners as many areas were loosely governed and guns were round every corner. It was sketchy at best and downright toxic at worst. But since 2021, some calm has returned and tribal skirmishes in the cattle camps are now less common. I thought it was time to return. After all, I’d had eight years to think about what I could do differently. Cameras have certainly improved, and I have a further eight years of experience under my belt. I also had maintained contacts in South Sudan, in particular with those in charge of the large cattle camps to the south of Rumbek. This is no place to go without inside help, security protection and best in class field logistics. There must be a plan and there must be attention to detail. But I knew it would be a mistake to go back and try to copy what I did eight years ago; it would hint at a lack of creative progression and courage. I needed to do better and offer a new story, to go backwards would be damaging at many levels. I had been preoccupied by that fear for some time and I knew that I had to be bold. The Lakes areas of South Sudan are just about on a map, but way off the grid for most. It is the most basic of existences and the only material source of employment is the cattle camps. In 2014, I filmed near the town of Yirol in a camp on a Nile tributary, but this time I wanted to travel further into the interior and find an even bigger camp on the way to Rumbek. My premise was to play on scale and my leaning was always to go bigger not smaller. I am always greedy in the field. The Dinka tribe are the world’s tallest people, their cattle camps are the biggest of their kind and the cattle horns are Jurassic. This is a place to play on the word “big”. My picture, Mankind, had novelty factor because it delivered such an emphatic sense of scale and place. Whilst I was nervous of treading old ground, familiarity is a friend not a foe, that’s why we often use the same talent in our storytelling. I needed to go one step further than I had in 2014, without losing any small individual stories within the image. My sense was that there needed to be even more of a visual overload in the frame and I found it difficult in my preconceptions to escape from the word “panoramic”. The local chiefs and the head of police knew where to take me and my security detail knew how to keep me safe. I would go into largely unchartered land where the Dinka had established a camp of over 10,000 cattle. I have often thought that a photographer in the last eight years would go and try and take their own version of Mankind, but I haven’t seen any. Every week I see monochrome photographs of the big elephants...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Black and White Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

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Category

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Materials

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