Animals have long captivated the human imagination. Gared
Luquet’s large-scale wildlife portraits depict the similarities of emotional
expressions that are shared across the human and animal species. His most
recent body of work, LA ZOO, emphasizes the connection between animals and the
manmade world, specifically referencing the wildly diverse culture of Los Angeles.
Luquet is interested in the interplay of disparate elements, such as bright
neon sign backgrounds combined with hyper realistic animal portraiture to bring
a sense of nostalgia and highlight the heavy midcentury modern influence in
metropolitan regions. His Snapchat series is a commentary on popular culture in
which he combines animal portraits with Snapchat filters to give
anthropomorphic qualities to the animals and highlight the preconceived human
perceptions of animal behavior. These animals are immortalized in classic Los
Angeles style headshot poses and altered with whimsical filters and pop art
inspired backdrops. Most recently, Luquet has stripped away the vibrant colors
to reveal the fundamental beauty that is unique to each animal. Limiting his
palette to sepia tones has stimulated his desire to feature a wide range of
diverse textural nuances that exist on land and below the sea. This series
captures the traditional and timeless nature of his subject, while serving as a
reminder to preserve these delicate creatures by strengthening the centuries
long bond between man and nature.