In November 2014, photographer Charlotte Dumas (born 1977)— author of the acclaimed Retreived, among other photobooks—began photographing the eight native horse breeds of Japan. Once necessary for farming and transportation, most of these indigenous breeds have lost their practical purpose and have declined in number. As some of the breeds are confined to small islands, many of the horses have never been able to migrate and their future existence is now uncertain. In some cases, these near-mythical animals have become symbolic of their place, like the Yonaguni horse, which—together with the world’s largest moth and the marlin—is depicted on the manhole covers of this remote island. Each breed seems to unlock a history of its location and a story about the people who share its territory. This limited-edition artist’s book, documenting Dumas’ project to date, portrays horses from the islands of Yonaguni, Miyakojima, Nagano and Hokkaido.
Featured image is reproduced from Charlotte Dumas: Work Horse.
Featured image is of an indigenous Miyakojima workhorse from the Miyako Islands in Japan. Documented by Dutch photographer Charlotte Dumas, whose new limited edition artist's book is just out from The Ice Plant, this breed is in danger of extinction now that machines have replaced horses in most work processes. Only 47 of this native breed are still present on the island, where they are naturally isolated by geography. continue to blog
FORMAT: Hbk, 11.75 x 9.5 in. / 60 pgs / 34 color. LIST PRICE: U.S. $40.00 LIST PRICE: CANADA $54 GBP £35.00 ISBN: 9780989785969 PUBLISHER: The Ice Plant AVAILABLE: 1/26/2016 DISTRIBUTION: D.A.P. RETAILER DISC: SDNR40 PUBLISHING STATUS: Out of stock indefinitely AVAILABILITY: Not available TERRITORY: NA LA UK EUR ASIA AFR ME
Published by The Ice Plant. Text by Simone van Saarloos.
In November 2014, photographer Charlotte Dumas (born 1977)— author of the acclaimed Retreived, among other photobooks—began photographing the eight native horse breeds of Japan. Once necessary for farming and transportation, most of these indigenous breeds have lost their practical purpose and have declined in number. As some of the breeds are confined to small islands, many of the horses have never been able to migrate and their future existence is now uncertain. In some cases, these near-mythical animals have become symbolic of their place, like the Yonaguni horse, which—together with the world’s largest moth and the marlin—is depicted on the manhole covers of this remote island. Each breed seems to unlock a history of its location and a story about the people who share its territory. This limited-edition artist’s book, documenting Dumas’ project to date, portrays horses from the islands of Yonaguni, Miyakojima, Nagano and Hokkaido.
