Unlike the broader associations of horse racing, dog racing is typically associated with the working class due to its lower cost of participation, proximity to urban centres and evening race schedules. Bred specifically for racing, greyhounds possess an innate prey drive that compels their unrelenting pursuit of the lure. Despite their reputation as sporting dogs, however, greyhounds are renowned for their idleness, typically sleeping up to twenty hours per day.
These paintings draw on this paradox and the greyhound’s class coding. Bred to run, work and earn, greyhounds embody a unique duality. Moreover, greyhound racing — fraught with numerous animal welfare issues—has become an ideological flashpoint. Retired greyhounds, often perceived as victims of the ‘cruel’ proclivities of the working-class, are today in vogue as rescue dogs. This status shift highlights the process by which middle-class benevolence finds its proxy in pet-ownership, casting a critical light on the perceived harshness of the working class. By focusing on the sleek yet awkward form of the greyhound in its restful state, I highlight these incongruent states of labour and leisure. My work seeks to draw connections between these disparate elements, with the greyhound offering a commentary on the complex social dynamics surrounding class.
