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Captiveasks the viewer to have a second look, not only at the animals we keep captive, but at the details of the exhibits; the infrastructures we’ve created, which are human constructs for human pleasures. At the centre of these exhibits are animals, and yet we fail to see them as individuals. We might see them as objects for our amusement or representatives of a species, but it makes us uncomfortable to see much more than that. When we do really look, we see animals who are despondent, depressed, exhibiting stereotypic behaviours which indicate stress or unhappiness. Captive asks us to see and consider their zoo life.

Q: Why did you feel compelled to take on this project?

A: I was compelled to take on this project because I urgently feel that all roadside zoos should close, and larger, well-funded zoos need to either close or evolve into places of compassionate conservation, wildlife centres, or sanctuaries. Unfortunately, zoos are still places that breed orcas, only to be showcased in small tanks; that catch wild elephants in Africa, only to send them to zoos in the U.S.; that continue to break up the families and friendships of zoo’ed animals for breeding programs that are often unsuccessful and do not contribute to conservation.

Q: What was the most difficult part of this project?

A: What I found most difficult about all of these shoots was returning to see the animals day after day, seeing their boring, repetitive lives; seeing them pacing the same circles worn into the dirt, and often, seeing them alone. I write a lot about this in the book. As with all my animal work, I have to leave the animals behind, in the hopes that the documentation I take with me inspires us all to see, to change our minds about the treatment of animals, and to galvanize us to take action. In the meantime, however, those animals remain where I left them.