Figurative Sculptures

 

Feline
air dry clay, drawing inks, wire
~ 2.5 x 5 x 2 in

Canine
air dry clay, drawing inks
~ 2.5 x 5 x 2.5 in

Process photos

left = practice sculptures; right = scrap wood used for base

Artist statement:

This work is a representation of how humans see ourselves as simultaneously civilized and animalistic, as well as our obsession with categories and labels. Of course we have things like indoor plumbing, the internet, and mass production, but while we may seem civilized, society is still driven by our deepest primitive desires and needs, such as food, reproduction, and community. For these reasons, I chose to depict animals dressed in human clothes and sitting up in a way that suggests bipedalism. The clothes as well as the oval shaped, stained wood base are meant to be reminiscent of Victorian era style and culture. Rather than use just any animal to represent our primitive selves, however, I created a cat and a dog because I find it interesting how these animals have come to represent "feminine" and "masculine" in our society. Men and women, like dogs and cats, are quite similar in several ways but we treat them as if they are entirely different. The differences between men and women are taught through generations, not inherent, and yet this dichotomy has become the foundation of our society, even more so before recent years (for example, in the Victorian era).