Cast Iron Cat's Head 1935 - 1942

This "Cast Iron Cat's Head" was made by Jane Iverson, who lived from 1910 to 1997. As the name implies, it’s made of cast iron, a material more often associated with industrial production than fine art. The process of casting involves pouring molten metal into a mold. The mold itself is made by pressing into sand. It’s possible that Iverson carved a model for the sand mold herself, perhaps in wood. But because it’s cast iron, a material requiring the intense heat of a furnace, this object speaks to collective labor, the division of labor, and the means of production more broadly. The very weight of the iron gives the cat’s head a palpable presence; it’s not a precious material, but an everyday one, used for all kinds of municipal and domestic fittings. Iverson has transformed this material into something whimsical, making it difficult to categorize as either art or design. The very choice of such an unorthodox material challenges the traditional hierarchy between fine art and craft.