Heidi Fourie: Nako at work

When working from my solitary studio at home, the dogs are my only colleagues. They are going about their business, as am I. They have almost everything taken care of for them, as do I.

The dogs are animals, driven by instinct, but they are also human, adapted to act as the perfect companions and we have methods by which we control them as we control our entire living environment to fit our needs.

The main characters in the paintings are the dog (Nako) and the pool cleaner. It is uncertain whether Nako is intrigued or afraid of the suburban monster lurking beneath the surface, whether he is driven by instinct, obligation or folly and it is uncertain who is invading whose space. As they constantly hinder each other from performing their daily duties, they have to find a way to co-exist in their brave new world.

The works show the perpetual play-fight between animal and machine, between work and leisure and between obligation and time.