I have chosen to work with a porcelain kitten. The porcelain serves little purpose other than looking pleasing to the eye. The kitten itself denotes the human desire to take care of pets and fill a space with something that could be perceived as alive. The prone pose of the cat reminds me of the nuanced relationship of cats to their owners as historically cats have been both worshipped and demonized by societies across the globe. I want to explore the relationship of cats with their owners in different forms. Cats are often seen as support animals, able to lower the heart rate and improve the mental state of those around them. Further, cats are also seen as evil creatures and solitary animals, refusing to coexist in packs and families. In these different explorations, cats can be represented as embodying the mental health issues of their owners, at war with one another, and living in a communal pack society.
