Project: Wolves by Strangers
Website: wolvesbystrangers.com
Who are you?
I hope this is alright, but I’d like to keep my identity a secret for now.
What do you do?
I collect pictures of wolves produced in all mediums from strangers across the globe and display them individually, one per day, on my website with a small amount of commentary/analysis. My analysis or commentary may not always be the best, but I strive to examine every picture individually because I want each contributer to feel special and appreciated and give all pictures equal billing.
Why do you do it?
In many ways, this project was simply born out of the desire to simply try something new. I had no idea how successful it might be, and I told a close friend of mine that if I even received one picture that I would be happy.
I’m not going to try to make the project out to be greater or more important than it is, but simply put, I had reached a short period in my life in which I came home from work everyday and was simply at a loss of what to do next. I felt like the forms of entertainment I had surrounded myself with were largely pointless, and as a result, I searched for something totally new and unusual to experiment with.
Please tell us a bit about the WBS project, and what is your aim for the project?
Right now, my primary goal is sustainability. The thrill that I receive when I open that little metal box and see an envelope lying there in front of me has hooked me deeply, and right now, the main thing on my mind is chasing that little feeling. So the clearest goal is simply to continue to receive enough wolf pictures to continue posting one per day for… well, for as long as this crazy thing continues. Right now, I have enough pictures to update the site daily for quite some time, but as I said already, sustainability and simply receiving more pictures is the goal.
I suppose that I would like at some point to publish a book, but beyond that I’m not positive where all of this will lead. I’m hopeful that bigger things lie ahead, but in some ways, I’m just as curious as everyone else is to see what will happen, regardless of success or failure.
Why have you chosen these certain pictures?
I have chosen these three because I feel that they are individually unique but that they can also work together to create a unified representation of this project. These pictures are classic as well as contemporary; they are violent and disturbing but also calming; they artistic and unique and creative. Also, they are all from strangers; while they may be marked with initials or first names, the personal information printed on the pictures is all that I have. They make me wonder; they make me think; they make me happy when I look at them. They display a willingness to create art for arts sake and a selfless attitude of sacrifice in offer that art to someone else for no other reason than kindness. Simply put, these wolves are awesome.
Why Wolves?
If you take a look at the WBS Philosophy page of the website, you’ll see an explanation of the vast impact that an appreciation for the wolf could have on our society and why it is so important to become intuned with this majestic creature. I do have to admit, however, that a lot of what I write in general is a bit tongue in cheek. I try in my writing to walk a fine line of being a bit unbelievable in the extreme nature of my waxing eloquent about the wolf, but at the same time I want to create commentary that could be taken seriously and makes valid points.
So, while much of what I say in the WBS Philosophy could be viewed as melodramatic fluff, there is also no denying the fact that wolves really are pretty cool animals. They really do looking stunning and are aesthetically appealing. They are wild and savage but also have a side that is communal as well as fun and playful. We view them both as social and extremely somber and lonely. Basically, the wolf is capable of being all things to all people if you examine the creature from a variety of angles.
Find Wolves by Strangers here:
wolvesbystrangers.com
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Originally posted 2011-07-12 09:00:34. Republished by Blog Post Promoter