about
Equus Gallery fuses art and technology capturing champion thoroughbreds in their prime. In the tradition of George Stubbs, Sir Alfred Munnings, Richard Stone Reeves, and our own Alister Simpson. It takes photography - this endlessly replicable art - and adapts it to more closely resemble painting: unique and irreducible.
the work
Our technique utilizes newly developed high end sensors, state of the art Zeiss lenses and a purpose built camera. Following a series of processes that are at the forefront of technology, unprecedented detail and depth is captured culminating in the large file image printed on cotton archival paper by our master printer, who with over 30 years experience has worked with the world’s foremost artists.
the detail
This is a zoom close up of a full length image.
Printed up to 200cm x 300cm. Our 10GB files contain extraordinary detail.
VANCOUVER
Medaglia d'Oro - Skates
Australian 2yo Champion
Trained by Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott.
Photographed at Coolmore Stud.
Unbeaten two year old champion, Gai Waterhouse-trained Golden Slipper winner VANCOUVER. The 40 million dollar horse by super stallion Medaglia d'Oro from Skates has become the most valuable sire prospect in the southern hemisphere. Photographed at Coolmore Australia. Other champion thoroughbreds photographed for this series include : So You Think, Pierro, Choisir.
These bespoke equine portraits are framed behind non reflective museum glass and printed on archival cold press cotton paper. Sizes available are from full life size to any measurement to custom suit. A twenty one day turnaround is required. P.O.A.
TIME STAMP
Tapit (USA) - Hour Glass (USA)
Photographed at Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Racing, Kensington.
EXCESS KNOWLEDGE
Monsun (Germany) - Quenched (Great Britain)
Trained by Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott.
Photographed at Royal Randwick Racecourse.
the artist
Award winning international photographer Nicholas Samartis is an artist best known for his photographic artworks and portraiture. He has worked with many of the globe’s prestigious brands and clients including U.S Conde Nast, The New York Metropolitan Opera and during a 10-year tenure with American Vogue he photographed some of the world's most notable icons.
Among other awards and accolades, most recently, in 2014 Samartis was awarded 'The 'Pinnacle Award' for photography at The Australian Design Biennale, in 2015 he was featured in the Australian edition of Masters of Photography and in 2016 was selected as a finalist for the National Portrait Prize by The National Portrait Gallery in Canberra.
artist statement
"Each living being is the culmination of all that has come before us. We are all - animal or human - the progeny of our past, embodying our ancestors, their genetics, their biological spirit, their very essence and being becoming the repository and final trace of their existence. As such, we represent all that has come before us and all those who will come after. We are our legacy, a collective being, a social animal, and yet at the same time completely, utterly, beautifully unique - one of one.
These images capture a singular moment in evolutionary time - the end of history - embodied in a beast: a horse, a thoroughbred, a genetic specimen, a commodity, a champion, a winner. And we have the privilege of capturing this sense of untamed life for a brief glorious moment.”
testimonials
“Nicholas Samartis’ work fits seamlessly in the tradition of the great photographers. His pictures uphold the traditions of the classical portrait while at the same time express a modernity that makes them truly of the moment”
“We recently had the pleasure of working with renown artist Nicholas Samartis for the commission of a portrait of our prized champion Golden Slipper Winner, Vancouver. Samartis’ professionalism on the project was beyond reproach particularly given the sensitivity of the subject matter. As a reflection of Samartis’ preparation, the shoot occurred seamlessly and the handlers had Vancouver stand for only a few minutes with a minimum of fuss while he worked to capture the image to create an extraordinary fine art portrait. I would certainly say he possesses a deft touching capturing thoroughbreds in their prime. We are thrilled with the outcome and will always plan to use him to capture our other champion racehorses.”
“I have known Nicholas for over 25 years. He has always been a sensational photographer and has distinguished himself internationally in the field of portraiture. We are delighted to see this new exploration of full-size thoroughbreds in his work”