Wednesday, June 29, 2011

#28 - 30 Prints in 30 Days (Red Tabby)

"Red Tabby"
Woodcut (four blocks)
4" x 4"(image) 5.5" x 7.5" (paper)
Water-based inks on Rives BFK
Edition of 3

I enjoy the color, simple shapes, and whimsy of this image. It has much of what I love most about the work of Matisse, although it needs to loosen up a bit. There is a play on perception and space, as the cat seems both on the ground and on the wall, both on top of the background and just another flat part of the background. Like us humans, cats are so dependent on their eyes. A cat in a room (assuming it isn't asleep) follows me with her eyes, wherever I go. Whatever small activity I am engaged in, I may look up at any moment to find two round eyes, their gaze fixed as if they are listening to the most riveting story. But then I go back to what I'm doing, and I forget about that gaze. The cat goes back to being part of the wallpaper, silent, but staring.

No comments:

Post a Comment