Brit Bunkley

Freyberg Place, Auckland, October 2020.... Animal companionship is an integral aspect of life in NZ. In particular, our relationship with dogs is unique, the result of 15,000 years of getting to know each other. The author of Dogs Never Lie About Love, Jeffrey Masson, points out that, “dogs don't care about our status, our colour, our ethnicity; the biases, prejudices, and presuppositions of humans are foreign to dogs. Our cross-species friendship is a universal relationship that cuts across all cultures and continents.”

Interestingly, during the Covid-19 shutdown pet adoption rates went up significantly as people searched for comfort and companionship with animals.

With this in mind, we propose to put two dogs in High Street. Each dog would sit on a wooden chair which would be attached high up out of reach on a corner lamppost. The dogs would be fabricated from 3D scans into a durable PLA plastic which then would be coated with epoxy. The chairs would be coated with weatherproofing polyurethane. The style of the chairs would suggest a living room or a parlour.

Our intention is for the sculptures to be unexpected, quirky, surrealistic and playful. The chairs create a sense of “indoors” in an outdoor urban setting. The dogs might suggest city guardians or merely mischievous pets. And the fact that they are sitting on our furniture alludes to our close relationship with them.

We acknowledge the impacts of COVID 19 on Aucklanders and feel that the works would be celebratory, would transform the space and uplift spirits. The sculptures would increase awareness of the arts and add vibrancy to the Changing Lanes event.

We also feel that there is a precedent - many historic cities have sculptures of animals imbedded in their architecture, whether it be in the form of grotesque gargoyles or impressive lions, bulls and horses perched on the facades of churches, palaces and government buildings. These magnificent creatures were often symbols of power, strength and protection.