Brandler Galleries has in its possession a various works created by Portsmouth-based urban artist My Dog Sighs. After co-founding the Free Art Friday project in which My Dog Sighs gave away a free piece of art once a month by leaving it on the streets, the artist gained increasing popularity around the globe, reaching as far as Japan, Israel, and the United States. Originally a street artist with a unique style, My Dog Sighs has used a vast array of used and reclaimed materials, ranging from oil drums, to bottle caps, to food tins, to a Renault van, which is included in Brandler’s My Dog Sighs collection.

Often radiating melancholic tones in his work, My Dog Sighs utilises used materials in order to create poignant works that contrast the abandoned materials with the art. ‘Everyman,’ 2013, for instance, pairs a vinyl record with My Dog Sighs’ signature tin can face on its front with a colourful illustration of the Everyman.

Leading on from My Dog Sighs’ street art experience, the desire to ‘interact with the urban landscape and its inhabitants without impacting negatively on them’ is a driving motivation behind each piece of art, as demonstrated by the ‘40 Gallon Oil Drum Comic.’ When creating this particular piece, a friend of the artist was employed to use a wrecking ball in order to crush the drum, while the artist painted a clown on the face of the drum, epitomising the industrious yet artfully intricate style of My Dog Sighs.

The variation of My Dog Sighs’ work shown within Brandler’s collection demonstrates the variation in the artist’s work. This is particularly evident in ‘Russian Tomato Burry,’ which makes use of a used tin of Russian tinned tomatoes. The tin’s base includes a sleeping face, while the tin itself is placed in front of a page from an unspecified book. This piece combines street art with gallery art, exemplifying My Dog Sighs’ unique, diverse style.