DUBBO women who participate in the once masculine sport of pigging and hunting will soon be models for an exhibition by Sydney-based photographer Emma Thomson.
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Ms Thomson has been appointed artist-in-residence at the Dubbo Regional Gallery and will be based in the city for the next few months.
During her stay she will photograph women posing with their kill. The artist specialises in bodies of work that focus on subcultures in society. Some of her previous collections have focused on children in beauty pageants, naked men in national parks and portraits of couples.
Ms Thomson will be at Dubbo during the next few months to create new work that has been funded by an artist-in-residence grant from Museum and Galleries NSW and Copyright Agency Limited.
The artist is keen to explore what the women's interests are and how they came to participate in what was once a male-dominated pastime.
Coming from Sydney, she said her idea was initially sparked by images she saw in a magazine of women posing with pigs.
The topic of pig hunting has also been under the media spotlight with claims the "sport," is cruel.
Ms Thomson has placed advertisements in the Daily Liberal seeking out women who hunt or would like to be involved in her project.
Part of her approach to this subject, and previous projects, is to throw the idea out there and see who responds.
She is not interested in seeking out models herself, but attracting people who want to be in the "limelight."
The women she has spoken to say they feel empowered by the pictures they pose in.
"They feel like because their boyfriend does it, they can do it too, they can participate and do something together," she said.
"I have had local women sending me photos of them posing with foxes, and posing with guns."
Ms Thomson said in the process, she discovered that hunting in general was now being geared toward women.
This was made evident recently when the artist went to a gun shop and saw pink knives and pink hunting accessories.
Up to 30 models will be photographed in the shoots from Dubbo and the surrounding region.
A selection of the works will be exhibited in a Sydney gallery while the complete works will be hung at the Western Plains Cultural?Centre in April and May, 2014.
NB - The artist would like to make it known that no animals were specifically hunted for her images. She accompanied individuals on hunts that were already taking place.
