I'd rather be nowhere else
Description
In an exhibition space, somewhere to the side, a pale creature is sat facing the wall. Its hunched back turned to the audience with its head lowered against the wall in front of it. There is no spot light on the figurine, rather it almost appears as though it got into the space by accident, for a split second one might even wonder, if it’s real.
Concept
A cat facing a wall and pushing its head agains it is a cause for concern. This behaviour is called “head pressing” and generally indicates damage to the nervous system, either through poison, trauma, a cancerous growth or a metabolic disorder among other things.
Thinking about the future or even the present nowadays can be disheartening. Steady environmental decline, a general right wing shift in politics and the exploits of capitalism are some of the leading causes for concern for me personally. No wonder then, that according to the World Health Organisation, mental health is declining globally. And yet the world keeps going, and we must somehow go with it. We are the product of all of that makes up our current environment. Moulded into shape for better or for worse. Escaping the system seems impossible as even counter movements are very prone to being incorporated into the very system they’re trying to oppose. So how do I, as an artist walk that line? How do I criticise the current state of affairs or express my discomfort with the (art) world while still taking part in it?
The sphinx cat is a well known and recognisable luxury breed. The feline was developed in the 1960s after breeders found a very small number of hairless kittens born to domestic short haired and stray barn cats. Due to the initially small gene pool and the subsequent breeding process, the sphinx cats are marred by various genetic and physical complications: respiratory infections, hypothermia, skin cancer, muscular dystrophy to name a few. As such, this breed too has been completely moulded into its current state by forces outside of its control.
I fused the sphinx cat and the act of head pressing into a life sized figurine to address my sentiments towards the current state of affairs. The cast resin figurine is made to look like porcelain, straddling the line between luxury and kitsch.
The pictures below show prototypes made from ordinary clay, drawings and a mock up of how the figurine should be positioned in the space.
Making of
