Daniëlle van Ark

This image pretty much sums up my childhood. This picture must have been taken around 1985. You see Ascot, our Dalmatian, a pack of Barclay cigarettes, two boxes of matches, snacks and a brown faux chic interior. Ascot was my best friend at that time. He would spoon with me in bed, follow me around the house, and always go out to play with me. We had a small living room, and my parents were chainsmokers. The room was always blue from smoke. I really hated that. The dog would walk anxiously around the table when there was food on it. He followed every single move I made diligently. After a while he’d get tired and sit down next to the table. He would then fall asleep the way you can see in this image.

We were very lenient with him. The dog is long gone, but he was there for me in a time when I needed a friend in the house. The interior, the carpet, the wallpaper, the candles, a too big of an ashtray in the shape of an animal are all ingredients of a working class ‘80 interior in the Netherlands. For a long time I was traumatized by heavy oak furniture and, not visible in this image, Persian carpets. But I think I’ve overcome this fear by now.