Artist Statement

"Over the past two years I have observed with increasing fascination the growing number of discarded dog-shit bags (DDSB's) I encounter whilst out walking in both open countryside, urban parklands and even suburban streets. Is this purely about not wishing to be fined and thereby picking the right moment to surreptitiously dispose of the offending article? Or a misplaced belief that once bagged it ceases to be the dog owner's responsibility to dispose of sensibly so can be dumped in the nearest bush, thrown in the river or hung on the nearest fence with impunity? Whatever the reasoning the DDSB has very quickly become a feature of our environment.

"The images presented here become typologies that reflect on the nature of function and style and confront the viewer with the (often unseen) contents of the bags leading to a mixture of amusement, bemusement, curiosity and revulsion." John Darwell 

Artist Bio

John Darwell is an independent photographer working on long-term projects that reflect his interest in social and industrial change, environmental concerns and issues around the depiction of mental health.

Darwell has had seven books of work published. The most recent are Dark Days (Dewi Lewis Publishing, 2007), which documents the impact of foot and mouth disease around his home in north Cumbria; and a twenty-five year retrospective Committed to Memory (Tullie House Museum & Art Gallery, 2007).   

Darwell’s work has been exhibited and published widely, both nationally and internationally, including numerous exhibitions in the UK, the Netherlands, Italy, the USA, Mexico, South America and the Canary Islands. His work is featured in a number of collections including the National Media Museum/Sun Life Collection, Bradford; the Victoria & Albert Museum, London; and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

For further information please see http://www.johndarwell.com/