A Creative Companion

For a relatively young breed, the bull terrier has made an extraordinary number of appearances beside noteworthy creative professionals over the last 100 years. As a professional artist myself, where others see odd-looking or even perhaps even ugly, I find exquisite, unmatched beauty in the bull terrier aesthetic and equally in their eccentric, indomitable character. Long time bull terrier lover and renowned fashion designer Marc Jacobs says it well…

“I always find beauty in things that are odd and imperfect – they are much more interesting.”

Here are a just a few bull terrier loving creatives of the past century . . .

Credits:

Ralph Hodgson and Mooster 1912 – Photo Credit: Unknown (Source Unknown) // Eleanor Woodruff and Bull Terrier, 1923 – Photo credit: Charlotte Fairchild (Source) // Cecil Aldin with Cracker, 1930 – Photo credit: Unknown (Source) // Irene Papas and Wildfire, 1955 – Photo credit: Hulton Archive (Source) // Jean Melville and Midhurst Rhoda, 1935 – Photo credit: Unknown (Source) // Dolores Del Rio and Faultless of Blighty, 1936 – Photo credit: Hulton-Deutsch (Source) // Dolores Del Rio and Faultless of Blighty, 1937 – Photo credit: John Kobal Foundation | (Source) // Thelma Todd and Jiggs AKA White King, 1934 – Photo credit: Unknown (Source) // Thelma Todd and Jiggs, AKA White King, 1935 – Photo credit: Unknown (Source) // Virginia Bradford (born Estes) and Babyboy, 1952 – Photo credit: LA Examiner (Source) // Basil Rathbone and Judy 1930s – Photo credit: Unknown (Source) // John Steinbeck and Angel, 1970s – Photo credit: Unknown (Source Unknown) // Serge Gainsborough and Nana, 1977 – Photo credit: Andrew Birkin (Source) // Jane Birkin and Nana, 1970s – Photo credit: Unknown (Source) // Lyle Tuttle and Chadwick, 1972 | Photo credit: Unknown (Source) // Rick Springfield and Ronnie, 1981 – Photo credit: Unknown (Source) // Eric Clapton and his Bull Terrier, 1980s – Photo credit: unknown (Source) // Kirk Brandon and his Bull Terrier, 1982 – Photo credit: Tim Roney (Source) // William Berloni and the Bull Terrier stars he trained for 1982’s ‘Oliver Twist’ movie, 1984 – Photo Credit: New York Daily (Source) // James Elroy and Barko, 1994 – Photo credit: Marion Ettlinger (Source) // James Elroy and Nikkie, 2006 – Photo credit: A still from film shot by cinematographer Neil Antin for the film ‘James Ellroy: American Dog’. (Source) // David Mason and Purdey, 2005 – Photo Credit: The Sunday Times (UK) (Source) // Pamela Goldblum and Louise, 1998 – Photo credit: Stewart Cook (Source) // Kirk Hammett with Darla and Hoku, 2002 – Photo credit: The Metallica Club quarterly magazine ‘So What!’ (Source) // Derek Santini and Lily, 1998 – Photo credit: Derek Santini (Source) // Marc Jacobs with Alfred and Daisy, 2006 – Photo credit: Out Magazine (Source) // Daisy and Alfred for Marc Jacobs, 2007 – Photo Credit: Unknown (Source) // Lily Allen and Maggie May, 2007 – Photo credit: Unknown (Source) // Alfie Allen and Maggie May, 2014 – Photo credit: Ollie Grove (Source) // Roy Hattersley and Jakie, 2010 – Photo Credit: Maggie Hattersley (Source) // Patrick Swirc and Paulette, 2012 – Photo credit: Christian Adnin (Source) // Rafael Mantesso and Jimmy Choo, 2015 – Photo credit: Rafael Mantesso (Source) // Marc Jacobs and Neville, 2014 – Photog credit: Marc Jacobs (Source) // James North and Nirvana Lulu, 2015 – Photo Credit: Lix North (Source: Photographer’s personal collection) // Lara Maria Gräfin and Vašek, 2015 – Photo credit: Unknown (Source) // Meg Girard and Owen, 2015 – Photo credit: Meg Girard (Source) // Calum von Moger and Rex, 2018 – Photo credit: Calum von Moger (Source) // Alexis Krauss and Rizla, 2015 – Photo credit: Bill Stepanoski (Source)  // John Bishop and Bilko, 2017 – Photo credit: Lee Garland (Source) // Lix North and Nirvana Lulu, 2016 – Photo Credit: Lix North (Source: Photographer’s personal collection) // Ray Richardson and Wee Brian, 2018 – Photo Credit: George Brooks (Source) // Alice van Kempen and Claire – Photo Credit: Peter de Jong (Source) // Mikael Flis and Ludo, 2013 – Photo credit: Mikael Flis (Source)  // Lonneke Engel and Vito, 2015 – Photo credit: Dirk Verest (Source) // Emily Devine and Kasper and Luna, 2018 – Photo credit: Emily Devine (Source) // Lauren Kobayashi Riihimaki and Moose, 2018 – Photo credit: Lauren Riihimaki (Source) //

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lix North | Artist, Illustrator, Photographer. Owned by The Lulu Bully.

I grew up on a farm in rural New Zealand. Forever fond of my gumboots and jumping in muddy puddles, my childhood best friends were the farm working dogs (huntaways, bearded and border collies) and the family spaniels. Animals have always been an intrinsic part of my life, I spent a lot of my youth caring for farm and domestic animals, hand rearing orphaned animals and watching and assisting farm hands and vets. One of my earliest memories is the magic and awe I felt as a toddler watching my grandmother help a litter of puppies into the world. As legend has it, my first word was ‘woof’.

As an artist and photographer I seek the imperfections that make each of us, each fleeting moment, and the world around us, utterly unique. I strive to capture our points of difference, our foibles and eccentricities, our daydreams and delusions, our innate temporality – I believe that in the juxtaposition of wonderful strangeness lies an exquisite, honest beauty far greater than that built on pure symmetry, calculable balance or flawlessness. Who better as my muse than a Bull Terrier – the very embodiment of wonderful strangeness.

For fine art by Lix North visit www.lixnorth.com. For illustration, graphic art and photography visit www.lixcreative.com