Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 2
David YarrowThe Siberian2024
2024
About the Item
The Siberian
Heilongjiang, China - 2024
LARGE
48” x 103” Unframed
48” x 118” Framed
Edition of 12
STANDARD
36” x 77” Unframed
51” x 92” Framed
Edition of 12
"I firmly believe that having interesting stuff in front of the camera is the cornerstone of a good photograph. I know this to be a platitude but sometimes it pays to remember the simple stuff.
I have been deliberating about photographing a Siberian tiger in the habitat that defines it for several years, but North China -where I took this image –had, until recently, been out of bounds for foreigners since Covid. Even now, it is not the most welcoming of places. It’s a long way from home, English tongues are rare and, in the winter, it can offer indecently low temperatures.
The starting point of my interest in this project was that these cats are not just the most visually arresting animal species on our planet, they are also the most dangerous. They will kill a human in eight seconds and do it for fun. The trade-off between safety and proximity was at the heart of this project; I needed to be close and work with a lens that would afford context, but I also needed to be safe.
Two decisions were important in the process of making this picture. The first was to allocate a good amount of time in the north and wait for flat light and snow. Many days in the Siberian winter are played out under high pressure weather systems of freezing temperatures and dry and bright skies. This was not what I wanted. I needed moisture in the air and flat light and snow. That would mean either getting very lucky or waiting. I waited. It is very cold up there, but it doesn’t snow as regularly as it does in western ski resorts. The second decision was to work closely with the Chinese authorities and, in retrospect, this brief encounter was only possible because of the help of two or three extremely influential Chinese people. I am reminded that access is a key word in photography and this is normally achieved by investing in people. My charm offensive with my Chinese contacts was several months long. My team knows who they are and their stature within China, but no one else needs to know.
The question that I will be asked about this picture will simply be “how on earth did you get it?”. My answer would be two-fold. I was in a bespoke vehicle with a lower window opening, smaller than a tiger’s head, but larger than a camera lens. The second part of the answer is more important: it was by showing China and the Chinese some respect. Without that there was no chance. I know some people will criticise me for working with a country with a questionable record in conservation, but life is too short and I am an artist first and foremost.
The evolution of species is quite remarkable. Look at those tiger stripes and the colouring of the tiger and then look behind him. Now that’s clever camouflage. Well done to whomever sorted that one out!" -David Yarrow
- Creator:David Yarrow (1966, Scottish)
- Creation Year:2024
- Dimensions:Height: 51 in (129.54 cm)Width: 92 in (233.68 cm)Depth: 2 in (5.08 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:Chicago, IL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU388313772232
About the Seller
4.8
Gold Seller
These expertly vetted sellers are highly rated and consistently exceed customer expectations.
Established in 1986
1stDibs seller since 2016
130 sales on 1stDibs
Typical response time: 2 hours
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Chicago, IL
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 2 days of delivery.
More From This SellerView All
- AloneBy Cristina MittermeierLocated in Chicago, IL"Alone" Alone in a world that appears made up almost entirely of sea and sky, a small dhow rides the wind on a patchwork sail across the Gulf of Guinea, on the southern coast of Gha...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Color Photography
MaterialsArchival Pigment
- Vault Interior IIBy Christian VoigtLocated in Chicago, ILVault Interior II Chicago, 2015 119 x 250 cm Edition size: 12 Light jet, exposure on high glossy paper and aluminum dibond Framed with tulipwood, distance framing, and a UV 99 ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Color Photography
MaterialsArchival Pigment
- Unenlagia ComahuensisBy Christian VoigtLocated in Chicago, ILUnenlagia Comahuensis Paris, 2019 213 x 155 cm Edition size: 12 Light jet, exposure on high glossy paper and aluminum dibond Framed with tulipwood, distance framing, black velve...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Color Photography
MaterialsArchival Pigment
- Safe 3820By Christian VoigtLocated in Chicago, ILSafe 3820 Chicago, 2015 124 x 224 cm 1 of 1 Light jet, exposure on high glossy paper and aluminum dibond Framed with tulipwood, distance framing, and a UV 99 museum glass. Christian Voigt's Biography: Born in Munich, Germany, Christian Voigt lives and works in Hamburg and The South of France. His current studio is situated in Hamburg. Christian Voigt works with large-format cameras, both digital and analogue. He experiments with new camera...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Color Photography
MaterialsArchival Pigment
- Prado IIBy Christian VoigtLocated in Chicago, ILPrado II Madrid, 2015 Available sizes: 123 x 224 cm Edition size: 12 162 x 300 cm Edition size: 5 Light jet, exposure on high glossy paper and aluminum dibond Framed with tulipwood, distance framing, and a UV 99 museum glass. The Museo del Prado in Madrid, known as Prado for short (Spanish for "meadow"), is one of the largest and most important art museums in the world. Originally founded as a Pinacoteca and glyptotheca, the Prado today includes over 5000 drawings, 2000 prints, 1000 coins and medals, and nearly 2000 other art objects. The sculpture collection has more than 700 objects and other fragments. In addition to the world's best collection of Spanish painters, including some of the main works by Velázquez, Dutch masters and works by Botticelli, Caravaggio, Albrecht Dürer and Rembrandt, among others, are also shown. Christian Voigt's Biography: Born in Munich, Germany, Christian Voigt lives and works in Hamburg and The South of France. His current studio is situated in Hamburg. Christian Voigt works with large-format cameras, both digital and analogue. He experiments with new camera...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Color Photography
MaterialsArchival Pigment
- Philosophical HallBy Christian VoigtLocated in Chicago, ILPhilosophical Hall Strahov Monastery, Prague, Czech Republic, Prague, 2015 157 x 224 cm Edition size: 12 Light jet, exposure on high glossy paper and aluminum dibond Framed with...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Color Photography
MaterialsArchival Pigment
You May Also Like
- DrumsBy Jamie HinceLocated in New York, NY16x20” Limited Edition Next available edition printed upon purchase. Other sizes available. Please allow 4 weeks for production.Category
Mid-20th Century Contemporary Color Photography
MaterialsArchival Pigment
- SickBy Jamie HinceLocated in New York, NY16x20” Limited Edition Next available edition printed upon purchase. Other sizes available. Please allow 4 weeks for production.Category
Mid-20th Century Contemporary Color Photography
MaterialsArchival Pigment
- The Beatles, 1967By David MangusLocated in New York, NY16x20” Limited Edition Next available edition printed upon purchase. Other sizes available. Please allow 4 weeks for production.Category
Mid-20th Century Contemporary Color Photography
MaterialsArchival Pigment
- Coke MachineBy Jamie HinceLocated in New York, NY16x20” Limited Edition Next available edition printed upon purchase. Other sizes available. Please allow 4 weeks for production.Category
Mid-20th Century Contemporary Color Photography
MaterialsArchival Pigment
- The Beatles, Abbey Road Studios, London, 1967By David MangusLocated in New York, NY16x20” Limited Edition Next available edition printed upon purchase. Other sizes available. Please allow 4 weeks for production.Category
Mid-20th Century Contemporary Color Photography
MaterialsArchival Pigment
- Alison MosshartBy Jamie HinceLocated in New York, NY16x20” Limited Edition Next available edition printed upon purchase. Other sizes available. Please allow 4 weeks for production.Category
Mid-20th Century Contemporary Color Photography
MaterialsArchival Pigment
