Ontwerp voor een tafel met dierlijke ornamenten c. 1928

Curator: Here we have "Ontwerp voor een tafel met dierlijke ornamenten," or "Design for a table with animal ornaments" by Carel Adolph Lion Cachet, created around 1928. Editor: It has a wonderful sketch-like quality, raw and direct. The animal figures, they seem almost like stylized dogs, supporting this weighty geometric tabletop. Curator: Indeed, the sketch emphasizes line and form. Note the precise geometry, the almost mechanical quality of the animal figures, contained within a rectangular space. It appears to be a quickly rendered idea, emphasizing function through the interplay of shape and structure. Editor: I can't help but see these dogs, or beasts of burden, within a particular colonial context. Consider the era, the Dutch presence in Indonesia. Does this speak to ideas of forced labor or exploitation, represented in these supporting animal forms bearing an unyielding, heavy top? The ‘brown’ inscription lends credence to this interpretation given what hardwoods were commonly imported at the time. Curator: While your interpretation is possible, viewing the work as a study of contrasting shapes holds validity, also. Cachet might simply be working through a modernist concern: to what extent can natural forms, such as animal shapes, integrate harmoniously with purely geometric shapes for use as a design. This is about form and material as message, regardless of politics. Editor: But the choice to include animal figures at all must be interrogated! What are these ornaments communicating to the observer? Are these decorative flourishes disguising something deeper, a power dynamic that needs unraveling? I think situating the design within broader, unequal narratives is essential. Curator: Ultimately, it's difficult to be certain of Cachet’s intent. Both viewpoints find their justification in the image; it all depends on your lens. Editor: Precisely. By grappling with those tensions, we get closer to the complexities inherent to this deceptively simple work.