FIERCE

Animals have held a significant place throughout the history of art, from the painted horses and cattle on the cave walls in Lascaux, France, to the Internet Cat Video Film Festival held at the Walker Art Center in 2012. FIERCE: Animal Life from the Collection, an installation of more than 70 photographs, celebrates the many distinguished animals—both domesticated and wild—that have enlivened the history of photography. From 19th-century documentary views to richly conceptual photographs created since the mid-20th century, the animals of FIERCE are presented as perceptive, spirited, dignified, and predatory beings existing in respectful but sometimes tenuous proximity to humans. Each photograph invites us to revel in the striking complexity of the furry and feathered beings that surround us, relate to us, and enhance our lives.

Organized by the Portland Art Museum and curated by Julia Dolan, Ph.D., The Minor White Curator of Photography.