Isa Leshko: Elderly Animals (10 photos)
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| © Isa Leshko. Embden Goose, Age 28. |
Photographer Isa Leshko is traveling to sanctuaries across the country to photograph animals that are elderly or at the end stage of their lives. “I began the series as a means of exploring my feelings about my mother’s decline due to Alzheimer’s Disease,” she says. “As I’ve worked on this project, though, I’ve come to realize that these images are a testament to survival and endurance. And they raise questions about what it means to be elderly.”
Currently based in Houston, TX, Leshko is relocating to Philadelphia, PA in May 2011. Her work is represented by the Corden|Potts Gallery in San Francisco, CA, the John Cleary Gallery in Houston, TX and the Richard Levy Gallery in Albuquerque, NM.
Blue, Australian Kelpie, Age 19,
Handsome One, Thoroughbred Horse, Age 33
Teresa, Yorkshire Pig, Age 13
Marino, Bronze Turkey, Age 5
Red, Chow Mix, Age 14+
Finn Sheep, Both Age 12
Rooster, Age Unknown
Kelly, Irish Wolfhound, Age 11
Pumpkin, Morgan Arabian Horse, Age 28
Tags: Corden Potts Gallery, Elderly Animals, Isa Leshko, John Cleary Gallery, Richard Levy Gallery
April 8th, 2011 at 12:13 pm EEDT
These look PERFECT. Great choice in images.
April 8th, 2011 at 12:34 pm EEDT
Beautiful non human animals; thank you for capturing these images and sharing them with the world.
April 8th, 2011 at 2:00 pm EEDT
Love the series, so well done and so unique! – great images and so happy to see Miss Blue (as I refer to her) featured in it! We continue to root for Blue!
April 8th, 2011 at 2:07 pm EEDT
These are gorgeous. I spent many years working at the local Humane Society in Tucson, and always had such a special connection with the elderly animals, and found their situation most heartbreaking. I hope to someday have some space to take in some of these older animals and let them live out their last few days, months, or years with dignity, as many end up living out their final time at shelters, not “unadoptable”, but unwanted.
April 8th, 2011 at 2:25 pm EEDT
Terrific series, Isa. I’m looking for to seeing them in print, too. Congratulations and thank you for producing a tribute to our animal friends.
April 8th, 2011 at 2:52 pm EEDT
Fantastic Isa. I love this series. And I couldn’t be a prouder mom seeing my girl Blue’s image as part of this wonderful portfolio
April 8th, 2011 at 3:01 pm EEDT
I love these pics are they for sale. i would love to by one from you or even two.
April 8th, 2011 at 4:50 pm EEDT
So lovely and cute! No wonder they’re one of the best things in this crazy, rough and individualist world of ours!
Great pics! :)
April 9th, 2011 at 12:12 am EEDT
I think this is an unexpectedly haunting series. Isa’s portraits evoke the character of each subject with a keenly observant eye. Seen together, I think she makes her point perfectly. I think it should be a book.
April 9th, 2011 at 1:25 am EEDT
These are lovely, nostalgic portraits. The most striking thing all the subjects seem to share is a tired look in their eyes.
April 9th, 2011 at 3:09 am EEDT
Beautiful and touching.Thank you for sharing!
April 9th, 2011 at 4:54 pm EEDT
Thank you, all, for engaging with these images and for your your encouraging comments. I greatly appreciate your support. Thank you also to Amber for featuring my work on this wonderful blog. I am honored to find my work here!
@Martha Rhodes: Images from my Elderly Animals series are available for purchase as archival pigment prints with an an image size of 9 x 9 inches and a paper size of 11 x 14 inches. These prints are made in a limited edition of 15 with 3 artist proof prints. Please contact one of my galleries for additional information. Their contact info can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/IsaLeshkoFineArtEditions.
Best Regards,
Isa
April 9th, 2011 at 8:08 pm EEDT
Wonderful. Congratulations Isa!
April 11th, 2011 at 3:14 pm EEDT
Isa, your work always moves me. I can’t wait to see you and your photography, in person.
Thank you, Amber, for featuring Isa’s work for all of us to enjoy.
Michaela
April 12th, 2011 at 8:33 am EEDT
Congratulations, Isa. A great series of meaningful images!
April 14th, 2011 at 4:19 pm EEDT
Very poignant. Just lovely. I’ve been working on an animal series myself for about a year and a half now; they are so expressive.
April 14th, 2011 at 7:20 pm EEDT
Wow – great sat, some very old animals in there!
http://mattlacey.com/elsa/content/DSC_4524_large.html <– a 21 year old cat who has sadly passed away since the photo was taken :(
April 14th, 2011 at 7:22 pm EEDT
Beautiful and compelling. I looked at these with my 13yo poocher, somewhere in between smiling and tearing up. Thank you for this series <3
April 14th, 2011 at 11:17 pm EEDT
These are fantastic! I wish you could have taken pics of my pets. They all lived from 11 to 18 years, dogs and cats. This is a beautiful tribute!
April 14th, 2011 at 11:56 pm EEDT
All their eyes look so sad
April 15th, 2011 at 9:10 pm EEDT
check out SAINTS rescue, they are a sanctuary for senior animals and have taken beautiful pics over the years!
http://www.saintsrescue.ca/gallery/index.htm
April 16th, 2011 at 3:07 am EEDT
In spain there is a feast call San Antonio, where all the animals, old included, can go to the chapel of Saint ANTONY to be blessed.
Blessingis asked for little puppies as well for old donkeys.
I thinck it would be wonderfull if the animals of the pictures would had been brought to saint antony chapel and blessed
April 16th, 2011 at 1:23 pm EEDT
Matt Lacey – Beautiful kitty. Reminds me of my cat Cathy, who also made it to 21. That’s over 100 in human years. You must have taken great care of them.
Caring for elderly pets is really healing experience. Taking care of Cathy Patches helped me become more comfortable with Grandma as she has slowed down.
April 16th, 2011 at 1:49 pm EEDT
“The dog barks backwards without getting up;
I can remember when he was a pup”
– Robert Frost
April 16th, 2011 at 4:52 pm EEDT
Beautiful photos. :)
Really touching, and original. Please take more and post them!
Also, consider a nice coffee table book.
Are you considering a book?
Anyway, I shared them on facebook. :)
April 17th, 2011 at 2:42 am EEDT
Lovely and very touching, thanks for a unique look at our wonderful animal friends.
April 18th, 2011 at 1:50 pm EEDT
Beautiful, and beyond words.
April 19th, 2011 at 5:15 am EEDT
The most saying pictures I’ve seen for years. Beautiful – what an integrity – thank you
April 19th, 2011 at 5:38 am EEDT
Dear Isa.
Thank you for those beautiful images, moving and emotional.
Please consider to donate the benefits of the sales to an animal foundation, either a shelter, an equality for rights defender, etc.
My best regards,
Alejandra.
April 19th, 2011 at 11:47 am EEDT
My Maltese is elderly and ill. I love her and it is great to know that you see the beauty in
aging animals. They are truly loving spirits that deserve to be loved until the end.
Thank you for the beautiful photos.
April 20th, 2011 at 5:24 am EEDT
I think about my cat being 14 and totally love these images. Kittens and colts are cute, but there is wisdom and strength and endurance in the images of senior animals. I have had my cat, Kali, since I was 17, so all my adult life. I don’t know what I will do once she is gone. Hopefully I won’t find out for several more years.
April 20th, 2011 at 10:08 pm EEDT
These poignant photos brought tears. If we are truly responsible for “our” animals, we love them lifelong as they love us.
April 22nd, 2011 at 4:16 am EEDT
Absolutely beautiful captures! Such sweet creatures! Thank you for sharing!
April 22nd, 2011 at 9:36 am EEDT
As the owner of a lovely but grumpy 19yo cat named Molly, who is almost totally deaf now but still purrs when cuddled, I find this series of elderly animals pictures very moving. Molly can’t climb onto the couch any more but she is deeply loved in her last time with us. I can understand Isa’s search for meaning in taking these pictures.
April 23rd, 2011 at 9:45 pm EEDT
Bravo…
April 24th, 2011 at 3:10 pm EEDT
nice, great pictures!!
April 29th, 2011 at 12:16 am EEDT
Simply lovely… I wish more people would consider adopting older animals. I adopted a rotty mix when she was 13 years old (her owners were moving and didn’t want to take her; unbelieveable) and I had her for only seven months before she developed pancreatitis and died. I bawled my head off. I am viewing these with my 13 year old shepherd mix right now and loving her so much beyond words. Thank you for your lovely, graceful photos.
May 7th, 2011 at 8:08 pm EEDT
Beautiful photos. There is beauty in aging…whether it be humans or other animals. Thanks for capturing it.
May 8th, 2011 at 8:46 am EEDT
This is just gorgeous. Rarely have I seen so much emotion in animal photography. Truly touching.
May 9th, 2011 at 11:55 pm EEDT
this made me think of my dog & made me sad. hes almost 15. weve had him since i was 2. I dont know what Im going to do without him :(
June 8th, 2011 at 8:43 am EEDT
these are lovely and it seems a very personal journey thank you
July 22nd, 2011 at 9:24 am EEDT
these are beautiful photos, really thought provoking…
August 13th, 2011 at 10:23 pm EEDT
aww some look so sad! Makes me cry
October 8th, 2011 at 12:41 pm EEDT
These are lovely. Thanks for sharing them.
January 2nd, 2012 at 10:49 pm EEDT
I am very touched by your photographs. Thank you for tapping your own emotions and expressing them through your medium.
Gratefully,
Jodi Shannahan
March 9th, 2012 at 10:36 am EEDT
Very touching, having just watched our dog ‘Sugar’ and cat ‘Nala’ progress into old age and pass away brought tears to my eyes. Sugar as 12yrs. of and Nala was 15 yrs. of age. We lost them both last year… three months apart. They are truly missed.
Would love to see more photos!
March 9th, 2012 at 9:20 pm EEDT
A broker named, Jean Paul, moved to Texas and bought a donkey from an old farmer named Ben for $100. The farmer agreed to deliver the donkey the next day.
March 10th, 2012 at 1:57 pm EEDT
So beautiful. Thank you. These made me cry. The dignity, and presence of these animals. They are our teachers. My beloved Aby cat, MuMu, passed away at 18 and the dignity, courage, and beauty of her being with her passage was the most profound teaching for me about living with what is.
Please let us know when you take more photos,
all the best,
Joan MacIntosh
March 11th, 2012 at 10:09 am EEDT
It’s hard to type this, tears get in the way. Beautiful!
March 13th, 2012 at 3:19 pm EEDT
Beautiful expression of the divine spirit that connects us all :)
March 24th, 2012 at 8:15 am EEDT
As an owner of 2 elderly ShihTzus it was very touching to see the commonality between your photos and our little dogs. Such soulful eyes.
April 14th, 2012 at 12:32 pm EEDT
It was so great to see an 11 year old Irish Wolfhound. My guy Ram, only made it to 5 years because of back problems and knowing they are short lived I began mourning him from the day we brought him home and trying to celebrate each day he was with us.
He was wise and majestic and loving and we miss him terribly, even the entire staff at the vet’s office cried when we had to put him down. He is buried here on the ranch, and we miss him every day.
May 18th, 2012 at 11:34 pm EEDT
Very touching and beautiful. Most of these animals still have dignity!