Robert Langham | Blackfork Bestiary
Snail Hand, 1994
Written by: Madeline Lerner
Before this fast-paced, technology-driven world, humans constantly interacted with their local environments. Many are unfamiliar with the wildlife that surrounds them without intentionally seeking it out. Naturalist and photographer Robert Langham saw an opportunity to learn about local nature and to reconnect with the ancient human ways of documenting animals. Langham ventured to the lush areas surrounding Blackfork Creek in his hometown of Tyler, Texas. Through investigating natural wildlife and the historical significance of bestiaries to human understanding of animals, Langham has recreated a modern bestiary in his local environment.
Crow on Hand
A bestiary is a written and illustrated documentation of sorts focused on animals, both real and imaginary. Typically, they describe common traits and other facts about the animals and were very popular in the Middle Ages. These descriptions often attribute each animal to human traits. Through this exhibit, Langham investigates whether modern scientific explanations have stolen something extraordinary from the classification of animals.
Stacked Toads, 1995; Swift on a Towel
These photographs highlight the individuality of each species. Each animal's personality shines through in black and white, simply composed pictures. We can examine each creature in a quiet, simple way we rarely can. He pays special attention to their faces— particularly their eyes— drawing us nearer to their expressions and demeanor. They are always posed with a human hand or a human-made object. In one, a small snake coils in a martini glass; in another, snails explore a model’s hand.
Copperhead in Martini Glass, 1999
Many of these animals, as Langham notes, came to him through an interaction with humans— tortoises stuck on a highway or an opossum rifling through a neighbor’s trash. The investigation is as much about learning about the animals as our relationship with them. In many, human arms and hands prop up or carry the animal. Despite the intention of documentation, there is an air of control about the photos. An image of frogs stacked on each other is reminiscent of the circus. Multiple ropes tie an alligator, helpless as it hangs in front of the camera. Yet, they maintain their natural, untamed nature. We can still recognize them as creatures that don’t belong in our sterile world. Langham's work underscores our curiosity about these animals, the complex dynamics of our coexistence, and the boundaries we impose to understand them within the framework of our controlled environments.
American Alligator and Texas Rat Snake, 1995
Langham’s project is a fascinating investigation of local wildlife, history, and human understanding of nature. It invites us to pause and appreciate the magnificence of animals in our backyards. See “Blackfork Bestiary” by Robert Langham at Pictura Gallery in Bloomington, Indiana, through January 27th.
