WHO LET THE DOGS OUT

While the dog days of summer (thankfully) don’t start until July, DLG Nashville closes out spring with a collection of sculpture, paintings, photographs, and video work devoted to man’s best friend. This group show is full of interpretations of four legged friends and the identities of their owners.

For centuries, artists have celebrated and shown their respect for dogs by painting, carving, drawing, and sculpting their likeness. From mosaics in Ancient Greece and Foo dog statues in China to genteel symbols of wealth and nobility on ladies’ laps and on fox hunts, dogs have been portrayed for their spirits of companionship, loyalty, and wealth. Medieval and Renaissance art portrays dogs with wealthy families and political leaders. This led to the rise of dog portraiture in the 1880s, notably Cassius M. Coolidge’s Dogs Playing Poker. This series placed dogs at the very center of subject matter in art, paving the way for David Hockney to paint his much-loved dachshunds and Jeff Koons’ Balloon Dog series, among other works.

We’ve grown used to dogs’ joyous energy, constant companionship, and calming presence, but it seems we have quite a bit to learn from them as kind, intelligent, thoughtful creatures.

Those who are dog lovers have firmly staked their claim on this camp and are self-described dog moms and dads. Sculptures and paintings in WHO LET THE DOGS OUT poke fun, validate, and expand the "dog person" identity.