ZOO

Britta Jaschinskis exquisite photographs owe their inspiration to portraiture rather than documentation, creating an atmosphere rather than making a statement. The animals in these photographs have a shadowy, almost enigmatic presence that excites our curiosity and draws us in. Our glimpses of them tend to be partial, fragmentary from a furry hand gripping an iron bar to dolphins floating just below the surface of a pool. Polar bears stare from a rocky stage, a zebra stands stock still and quiet. All of them have a melancholy dignity, commanding a sense of respect in the viewer that is tinged with unease. Jaschinskis involvement and empathy is evident throughout, but she never allows it to intrude instead she has given us an arresting series of pictures and created a hauntingly beautiful book.