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Photos: These Dogs Love Hanging Out On Abandoned Furniture
Most dogs love jumping on furniture at home, but there's a pair of pups who grab a seat on the abandoned couches and chairs on the streets of L.A.
Retired professional photographer Jim Oblak noticed tons of furniture ditched at curbs around the neighborhood, while he was taking his two dogs, Gabe and Luke, on their regular walk around West Hollywood. What many of us have come to see as a fairly common sight around most parts of L.A.—especially around the end of the month as people move in and out of apartments—Oblak saw the abandoned furniture as a potential new subject for his photography. And rather than just shoot the worn out couches and chairs as still lifes, he invited his dogs to sit on the furniture for portraits.
"It’s always rather amazing to me just how much furniture is left out at the curb for ultimate pick up and disposal…some of it really worn and ragged, some quite reusable/recyclable," Oblak tells LAist. "It’s an interesting comment on waste and consumerism."
As you might guess, there was no shortage of furniture to be found on their daily walks. Oblak has amassed a collection of over 150 portraits of Gabe and Luke on various pieces, from plush chairs to leather couches. And just as some of the city's neglected chairs and couches are often pulled from the streets and brought into a new home, Gabe and Luke themselves are rescues, adopted from a shelter by Oblak. At best guess, he tells us, they're a combination of Wheaton Terrier and Bichon Frisée.
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And while Gabe and Luke are welcome to lounge on the furniture awaiting collection, Oblak clarifies that the dogs are "not allowed on the furniture in our home…and they know the difference," he says. "At least when we’re there to observe them."
Related:
Photos: These Adorable Dogs Explore Many Of L.A.'s Most Iconic Landmarks
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