Daniel Kukla, a native of Indianapolis, Indiana, currently resides in Brooklyn, New York where he works as a photo-based artist. He is a graduate of The International Center of Photography program in Documentary Photography and Photojournalism. Prior to his photographic education, he attended The University of Toronto and received his B.Sc. in Evolutionary Ecology, Biology, and Evolutionary Human Anatomy. He works at the juncture of these disciplines, focusing in on capturing images that have the power to articulate our ever-changing relationship with the natural world. His work has been exhibited in the United States, Burma, Canada, China, Lithuania, Malaysia, Singapore, Spain, South Africa and the UK.
Captive Landscapes
We, as humans, go to great lengths to satisfy our desire for a connection with the natural world, especially in our interactions with wild and exotic animals. Zoos are the primary site for this relationship, but they often obscure the conflicts inherent in maintaining and displaying captive wild animals. In this series, I photographed the interiors of animal enclosures at 12 different zoos across the U.S and Europe. These images invite the viewer to question the role of these constructed habitats, and explore the motivations behind collecting, preserving, and controlling the natural world.
To view more of Daniel’s work, purchase your copy of Aint-Bad Magazine Issue No.7 : Beyond Here, available in our shop and visit Daniel’s website.
