-Cat and Mouse c. 1950s - 1960s

Editor: So this quirky sculpture is titled "Cat and Mouse" from around the mid-20th century, created by James H. Bowen. It appears to be a resin assemblage. The color choices and, frankly, odd configuration gives off a surreal, unsettling feeling. What stands out to you? Curator: The power of this piece resides precisely in the juxtaposition of the grotesque with the familiar. Note how Bowen exploits asymmetry and proportion; the exaggerated, cartoonish features clash with the pseudo-Victorian clock base. Consider the unsettling "smile" formed by what appears to be droplets, and the tower of creatures perched on top. These forms, materials, and gestures create semiotic disruptions which prevent easy consumption of the imagery, compelling a reaction of uncertainty in the viewer. Do you notice any recurring visual motifs? Editor: Well, obviously the cat and mouse theme, and I guess the circular shapes throughout, from the main cat face to the ball on top? It's like a parody of a decorative object. Curator: Indeed. And it is in this playful disruption of established symbolic forms that the work stakes its conceptual ground, compelling the viewer toward their own individual interpretive frameworks. We find meaning not so much in clear iconography, but rather in the very act of meaning-making itself. What happens, I wonder, when the cute becomes almost repulsive? Editor: That's a fascinating point. It's much more than just a silly object. It really does make you think about your own reactions and expectations. Curator: Precisely! Bowen’s piece foregrounds not just aesthetic reception but the psychological dimensions embedded in art viewership. Editor: I'll definitely be looking at art differently after this! Thanks so much.