Professor of Art Shannon Johnstone is using her art to explore what it means to picture animals. Her curiosity about this subject led her to pursue a Ph.D. in Human-Animal Studies.
“I began working with animals as subjects in 2009. I had been working on a project (Silent Home) that involved family photographs, and my dog, Lula, naturally made her way into the series,” Johnstone explained. “This ignited two photography projects about dogs and animal overpopulation (Breeding Ignorance and Landfill Dogs). Both projects garnered a lot of media attention, but I was disappointed to find out from gallery curators that they would only ever be seen as ‘dog pictures’.”
Johnstone presented her projects at a Human-Animal Studies (HAS) conference in 2013, and met scholars who understood that photography like hers could change perceptions. After this introduction to the HAS field, she continued to consider the implications of using animals in art.
“During the pandemic, I began thinking more deeply about what it means to picture someone who has no meaningful way of consenting. I thought about the power involved in controlling one’s likeness, and sharing that any way I pleased,” Johnstone said. “Most of the animals I had been photographing were homeless, ‘evidence’ for the courts, or already dead. I wondered about the ethics involved in picturing these subjects and was disappointed to find virtually no literature on the topic.”
Johnstone chose to pursue a Ph.D. in Human-Animal Studies at the New Zealand Centre for Human-Animal Studies at the University of Canterbury to fill that gap.
“My thesis question is ‘Why create and view images of animal suffering?’ While this might sound like a social science project, it is an ethical and philosophical deep dive into what it means as an artist and photographer to picture another, especially when that other is in pain or suffering,” Johnstone said.
Johnstone wants viewers of her photography projects, which have focused on roadside zoos, the lives of pigs, and the personalities of “landfill dogs” from the Wake County Animal Center, to recognize multiple perspectives, including those of the animal subjects.
“Their perspective is just as important as ours, even if we don’t understand it. I hope people think more critically about what it means to picture animals,” Johnstone said. “What is needed is something philosopher Lori Gruen calls an ‘ethics of sight’, or critical reflection about how we see. Ultimately, I hope that people will be open to seeing through a different kind of perception, and with that, I hope our perceptions and actions will change for more peaceful relationships for all.”
Johnstone has felt many benefits from the experience of pursuing her doctorate abroad, calling it transformational.
“I think differently about the images I make, how I share them, and my hopes and dreams for what they communicate have been altered. My supervisors are leaders in the field of HAS and they really broadened my mind and heart especially in considering the power dynamics involved with who we choose to look at and how we advocate for what we believe in. Their expertise, patience, and encouragement helped strengthen my ability to see conceptual patterns and question what I think I know. This has deepened my artistic practice. I am so grateful,” she said. “Also, in the past, I wanted everyone to like my work, no matter the context. Now, I see it as context and perspective are everything, and staying honest about my commitment to the subjects I depict, my methods, motivations, and my own reaction to my art are what matter more to me now.”
Having a fresh experience on the other side of the classroom has also made an impact on her work as an educator.
“Coming back to Meredith, I feel more empathetic to all the pressures the students face outside of the classroom. I think I had forgotten what it was like to be a student,” Johnstone said. “This translates into my teaching by being a bit more flexible about rules I set. I also better understand what it feels like to have your work evaluated, and have taken that into better consideration in my comments and feedback with student work.”
Johnstone said she gained a lot from learning abroad, calling the experience of seeing the world and herself through a different culture and educational system pivotal for her education and research. Despite extensive experience in education and leading study abroad herself, she still experienced homesickness being halfway around the world from home.
“While studying in New Zealand may sound like paradise, and it was in many ways, it was also quite humbling. I thought I understood effective pedagogy and best practices for mitigating homesickness while studying abroad. I was humbled to say the least.”
Johnstone credits Meredith Director of International Programs Brooke Shurer for sharing her own doctoral work, which focused on Americans who study abroad in English-speaking countries and struggle because of unrealistic expectations.
“Her insights into education being a cultural experience—just as much as language, art, or food might be— has had a profound impact on me,” Johnstone said. “She also helped me reframe what I was experiencing and find a path to move forward. This is one of the things I love about Meredith College — how colleagues go above and beyond for each other and truly care about creating a strong community.”
Melyssa Allen – News Director
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