A quartet of ‘paparazzi dogs’ that have travelled the world are sniffing up Paddington as their next destination.
The dogmen, dubbed ‘the world’s most notorious photographers’, are four bronze free standing sculptures in suits holding cameras and have toured from New York to Shanghai. They are to be temporarily installed in Norfolk Square Gardens subject to planning consent.
These anthropomorphic statues are the work of the British and Australian artistic pair Gillie and Marc Schattner, whose work, which also includes the similarly themed Rabbit girl, is visible in over 250 cities worldwide.
Paddington Now, the area’s local Business Improvement District (BID) has championed the move, pointing to increased demand for public art and already popular statues such as the model of Paddington Bear named ‘Paddingtonscape’, also erected in Norfolk Square.
It added that the erection of the dogmen sculptures would enhance the appeal of the gardens and attract visitors to the square, which is mostly lined with hotels.
In order of descending height, the paparazzi dogs are called Jeremy, Benjamin, Jacob and Timothy, with the tallest, Jeremy, measuring nearly 8 ft. All four structures weigh up to 300kg and will stand on either a square or circular base.
It’s the not the photographers’ first trip to London. In their first UK trip last year, they guarded the entrance to the Royal Exchange.
Since being unveiled in 2013, the camera canines have become a worldwide phenomenon and have ‘taken photos’ of people in over 100 countries.