Artwork -17 Fragment 2

Sometimes it is not the whole animal that holds my attention, but a fragment of it. The muzzle of a zebra is an extraordinary arrangement of form — curves, planes, texture and stripes that seem to move in every direction. Taken out of context, it begins to become almost abstract.

And yet, somehow, the animal remains.

Perhaps this is what I find compelling about fragments. We are accustomed to recognising a living creature by its whole — its body, its stance, its movement. But a fragment can contain something of the essence of the whole. The muzzle carries breath, scent, touch and taste; it is where the animal encounters the world.

In reducing the image to this small part, I found myself looking more closely rather than seeing less. The familiar became strange. The animal became pattern, form and texture, and then, slowly, became animal again.