Cat 1740 - 1750

Editor: Here we have a ceramic sculpture, "Cat," created by John Astbury around 1740-1750. It has this beautiful, almost melancholic presence because of the glaze. What draws your eye to it? Curator: Primarily, it's the dynamic interplay between form and surface treatment. Consider the almost caricatured simplification of the feline form: the rounded body, the minimal detailing of the face. Then, juxtapose this with the highly expressive, almost abstract application of the glaze, creating these marbled striations. Editor: That’s interesting! The marbling does add a lot to the form. How do the surface textures speak to you? Curator: Note the network of crazing, those fine cracks in the glaze. They are not a flaw but an integral element of the work’s visual texture, imbuing it with a sense of age and fragility. Do you see how it almost becomes a map across the surface, disrupting the underlying form? Editor: Yes, I see that. So the cracks are part of the intention behind the artwork, it creates another dimension of seeing this piece of artwork. It adds an emotional connection to its viewer, since as we grow older, we create cracks that make up the artwork of our lives. Curator: Precisely. Also, observe how the color is functioning. We are not simply observing a white cat with brown markings, rather there are intentional visual rhythms created through a carefully calibrated system, if you may. How this interplay of color affects form. Editor: Right. The stripes aren’t just decorative. The more I look at the "Cat", the more I see an interaction between chance and design in the application of the glaze. It gives a unique expression and creates this artwork's narrative. Curator: Indeed. The ceramic figurine prompts a meditation on the relationship between structure, surface, and time. These elements combine to generate such narrative power. Editor: I’ve learned to view this familiar object, a cat, as an intricate dance of artistic intention, and structural form. Thank you for offering the possibility to dig deeper, look attentively at details, and to have an interaction with the artist himself!