ABOUT THE SERIES – COCKS

“Like La Fontaine, who in his Fables describes animals in order to more clearly evoke human beings, here, Ernest shows us portraits of the proud, the vain, the timid and the gentle, the temperamental, the peaceful and the lazy.” – Agnès de Gouvion Saint-Cyr. Curator of photography 2013

Ernest Goh’s latest photographic series explores the close relationship between animals and their human masters. Humans tend to anthropomorphize their pets considering them as members of the family and projecting human-like characteristics onto them. In his “Cocks” series, Goh has vividly captured these characteristics through his realist portraits of ornamental chickens known as Serama chickens bred for competition by many in Malaysia.

These chickens are prized for their built, size, behaviour and showmanship and compete in ‘beauty pageants’ held in villages throughout Malaysia. Judged on their stance, temperament and quality of their wing, comb and tail, owners of Seramas proudly regard their chickens as warriors or soldiers, ready for battle. Goh’s portraits in colour show these chickens at their best – displaying strength, beauty, grace and sometimes, even arrogance. They portray these proud animals in almost human-like poses, which are struck by the chickens without any prompting from their owners. The stark black background of his portraits keeps the eye focused on the splendour of the chickens who stand ready to show off their rich plumes of different hues. Goh’s beautifully composed photographs have succeeded in bringing out the majestic nature of these animals often sadly dismissed as mere livestock. Where his photography has been most effective is in showing them as creatures with individual personalities and attributes, giving them each a voice even if they are not able to speak.

“As a photographer, I am always interested in photographing the human condition. But this human condition does not exist in a vacuum as we share the natural world with animals. My interest in photographing animals is a natural extension of my interest in the human condition, because we are all inextricably linked to each other. We cannot exist without the other. I hope that  “Cocks” and my other animal series can in some way encourage us to reflect upon our relationship with animals,” says Ernest Goh about his series of animal portraits.

Ernest Goh first documented the relationship between humans and animals in “The Fish Book” (Wee Editions 2011) in which he photographed ornamental fishes bred as pets by many Singaporeans. The “Cocks” series is the second part of a larger project entitled The Animal Book (TAB) project that Ernest Goh is working on now which centres around the relationship between humans and animals.

 

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Ernest started his career as a newspaper photographer for The Straits Times, Singapore’s national daily. As an independent photographer, Ernest freelanced for wire photo agencies such the Agence France-Presse and took on assignments for international publications such as The Smithsonian and Monocle magazine. His interest in storytelling led him to create photo stories and books for various non-profit organisations. They include Beyond Mask, a book published in honour of the medical workers who sacrificed their lives at the height of the SARS outbreak in Asia and Altered Land, a 4-year long documentation of the 2004 Tsunami aftermath in Aceh, Indonesia.

Ernest’s current work focuses on animals and their relationship with humans. He holds an MA from Goldsmiths College and was awarded the inaugural Incentivising Innovation Fund by the Institute of Contemporary Arts’ A-Frame Network, an initiative of the UK government’s Cultural Leadership Programme in 2009. In 2012 he was awarded the Discernment Award at the ICON de Martell Cordon Bleu Photography Prize in Singapore.

 

BOOK SPECIFICATIONS

SUMMARY: Reared and groomed by dedicated owners for participation in pageants, ornamental chickens, including the impressive Malaysian breed of Ayam Serama, project a natural and seemingly effortless charisma rivalling that of human models. Ernest Goh’s award-winning portraits capture the full range of these beautiful birds’ personalities: puffed chests, ruffled plumage, bowed heads and all. By turns provocative, humorous and surprising, the photographs in Cocks will move you to view our humble feathered friends in an entirely different light.

INTRODUCTION BY: Agnès de Gouvion Saint-Cyr. Curator of photography. Inspector General for Photography at Minsitère of Culture and Communication, and artistic director of the Rencontres d’Arles in 1990.

ISBN: 978-981-07-5626-0

SIZE: Hardcover 125 x 175mm 96pp

 

IMAGES FOR RELEASE

(Please contact ernsphy@gmail.com for publication of images)