James & Other Apes is a portraiture project by James Mollison, focussing on the similarities between humans and the great apes.
James & Other Apes is a portraiture project by James Mollison, focussing on the similarities between humans and the great apes. The final images were exhibited and collected in a book, published in 2004.
“While watching a nature program on primates I was struck by their facial similarity to our own. Humans are clearly different to animals, but the great apes inhabit that grey area between man and animal. I thought it would be interesting to try to photograph gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos and orangutans using the aesthetic of the passport photograph- its ubiquitous style inferring the idea of identity.”
Instead of photographing the animals at zoos or using trained apes, James traveled to Africa and photographed orphans of the bush meat and live pet trades. Take a look at some of the portraits below, or view more on his website.
