Photos: Chicago Artist Turns 'Cones Of Shame' Into Glorious Doggie Flair
By Stephen Gossett in Arts & Entertainment on May 30, 2017 10:59PM
It's an empirical fact that the sight of a dog shackled with one of those heartbreaking, giant cones around his neck will instantly make you as sad as he looks. Which is why we were so thrilled when a genius Chicago-based photographer brilliantly flipped the script on those so-called "cones of shame," transforming the cumbersome brace into an amazing accessory: the Cone of Fame.
The mastermind, Erin Einbender, has been volunteering at one at local rescue One Tail at a Time, since October of last year, while also studying at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. When time came to put together a final project for her Intro to Photography course, it seemed like a peanut-butter-in-chocolate moment. She had always thought the cones—which are strapped on to keep dogs from licking or gnawing after surgical procedures—carried negative baggage for the pups despite their utility. And since dogs were already a frequent subject of her photo work, the pimped cones seemed like the perfect idea. (By the way, the photo class was pass/fail; she passed.)
It didn't take long for the Cones to unsurprisingly blow up on social media—which also had the glorious effect of helping her adoptable subjects find permanent homes. Thanks, Internet! "A good photograph of a rescue dog can go such a long way in helping that dog find a forever family," Einbender told Chicagoist.
As Cones of Fame continues to attract more and more eyeballs, it seems like the sky is the limit. Einbender said she wants to keep the focus local for the immediate future (Chicago Animal Control and ALIVE rescue have both contacted her about Cones), but she sees room to push the project much further. "I would love to travel the U.S. and help stray dogs. Maybe we could have children's hospitals help decorate," she told Chicagoist.
She also mentions recruiting designers and artists to help with designs and potential auctions to benefit rescues and shelters. "There's a long list of things I'd love to do. Really, the possibilities are endless," she said.
A refusal to allow oneself to limited by perceived constraints does indeed seem like an applicable lesson. Scroll through some of Einbender's work above for proof. You can follow Cones of Fame here and check out here already Internet-famous dog Rocco here.