HIDDEN: Animals in the Anthropocene by We Animals
From All-Creatures.org Animal Rights/Vegan Activist Strategies Articles Archive

FROM We Animals Media
November 2020

HIDDEN: Animals in the Anthropocene is an unflinching book of photography documenting our relationship with non-human animals in the 21st century, as depicted through the lenses of 40 award-winning photojournalists.

Buy the book HERE!

HIDDEN: Animals in the Anthropocene is an unflinching book of photography documenting our relationship with non-human animals in the 21st century, as depicted through the lenses of 40 award-winning photojournalists.

HIDDEN: Animals in the Anthropocene focuses on the invisible animals in our lives: those with whom we have a close relationship and yet fail to see. They are the animals we eat and the animals we wear. They are the animals used in research and for entertainment, as well as the animals we sacrifice in the name of tradition and religion. The stories within its pages are revelatory and brutal.

The Anthropocene is the proposed name for the current geological epoch. In this era, human activity is the dominant influence on climate, the environment, and all life on earth. As we enter a new decade, an estimated 80 billion land animals continue to be used and consumed by humans each year. The majority of these animals are raised and killed within industrial agricultural systems. Fish and other marine life are measured by tonnes.

HIDDEN adopts an unashamedly pro-animal perspective, yet also understands the important role community leaders, educators, policy makers and activists play in determining a future relationship with animals based upon a compassionate and humane co-existence.

Some of the Photographers:

Aaron Gekoski
“We make countless split second decisions when taking shots that reflect our emotions. The resulting images are a window into the soul of both our subjects and ourselves.”

Aitor Garmendia
“I want the aesthetics of a photo and its beauty to catch the viewer’s gaze and thus serve to understand horror and injustice.”

Amy Jones
“Whilst it can feel isolating doing this kind of work, HIDDEN serves as a reminder of how each investigator inspires others to continue, and that we’re in this together for animals.”

Andrew Skowron
“We’re at such a stage of evolution that we don’t have to kill animals. The fact that we still eat meat is just a matter of convenience.”

Carlota Saorsa
“To move towards a society where the interests of animals are respected and not discriminated against, it is necessary to know the serious situation they are suffering. And our duty is to expose it.”
Francesco Pistilli
“I use my photographic language, my personal way to tell stories, because I want to make these terrible images more understandable—to let people be more empathic.”

Konrad Lozinski
“When I take photos, I try to think of images as open wounds that can’t be ignored. They should communicate pain.”

Keiaro Muueim
“I believe that raising the status of animals so that animal issues are on the political agenda is maybe the most important task of the animal rights movement.”

Louise Jorgensen
“I’m certain that future generations will look back at our current attitudes towards and treatment of animals with great shame.”

Paul Hilton
“We must respect all species and protect them ferociously because ultimately, all life depends on it. Without the complex web of life, we all die. It’s that simple.”

Sabine Grootendorst
“I always keep an eye on the animals; their comfort comes first. I don’t want them to get stressed, so I do it fast. There is no room for emotions.”

Stefano Belacchi
“We must always remember that those animals portrayed in the photos will be dead when the public sees them. I feel a big responsibility when I think about that.”

Timo Stammberger
“Freedom has always depended on our ability to identify systems of injustice. I see it as our duty as artists and photographers to make the issues of our time visible.”

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