#10: El Gato (The Cat) 2008

Editor: Right, so we’re looking at Marina Pallares’ '#10: El Gato (The Cat)' from 2008, a woodcut print using ink. It's bold, graphic... and honestly, a little mysterious. That cat has seen things. What strikes you when you look at this piece? Curator: The gato *has* seen things, hasn't he? Maybe he’s swallowed the canary. You know, what really hooks me is the way Pallares marries traditional techniques with such a modern, almost punk sensibility. It’s like a gothic fairytale gone sideways. Do you pick up on the Mexican 'Dia de los Muertos' vibe, that playful dance with mortality? Editor: I see what you mean. The stark black and white definitely adds to that feeling. The bottle next to the cat - is that tequila? Is the cat guarding it? Curator: Could be! Or perhaps it’s the cat’s familiar. Either way, this juxtaposition of the domestic – a cat, 'el gato'– with, shall we say, more…spirited elements... it gives the piece this really captivating tension. Does that tension make you curious, or uncomfortable, or both? Editor: I think it's more curious, it wants me to try and find a way in to understanding more about it. All those lines really grab your focus as well. Curator: Absolutely. And notice how the woodcut medium lends itself so perfectly to that raw energy. You can almost feel Pallares carving into the block, channeling all those midnight thoughts and quirky anxieties directly onto the page. Makes you wanna grab some tools, right? Editor: Definitely inspires me to explore the themes more deeply, both technically and conceptually. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. I think I'll go find my own "familiar." Onward, to greater understanding.