A series of pieces highlighting the art of various animal activists, organized and curated by Leslie Goldberg, who is also a member of the Press Team

These photographs are the result of time spent with these animals at Harvest Home Animal Sanctuary only several days after they were rescued from a vivisection lab. Vivisection: the word calls up a deep revulsion that can’t be shaken off and that accumulates with each repetition. Not surprisingly, those who practice it do not use the word.

It was a delight to observe these beings connecting with each other. And it was even more delightful for me to connect with them. There is no doubt that they feel and suffer just as I do. But they are clearly different from humans physiologically; the torturous experiments performed on them lead to a false understanding of effects on humans. It is long past time to empty the cages.

~Isabella La Rocca

ARTIST’S BIO

Isabella La Rocca is an artist, educator, and activist working primarily with photography and motion pictures. Her work is part of a long tradition in photography: to bring to light and find beauty in the disregarded - hidden, unconscious, commonplace - not in the service of commerce or reportage, but with integrity, compassion, and generosity. She received a B.A. in Fine Arts from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.F.A. in Photography from Indiana University. Awards for her work include the Ferguson Grant from the Friends of Photography in San Francisco, CA for excellence and commitment to the field of photography. Her photographs have been exhibited throughout the United States including a solo show at the Center for Photography in Woodstock, NY. She currently teaches Multimedia Art at Berkeley City College in Berkeley, California, and Photography at St. Mary's College in Moraga, California. More of her work can be seen at www.glissi.org.