Christina Reich
HUM 1020 Z
Professor Scheafer
February 19, 2012
A Tale of Two Kitties
“Black Cat” and “Brass Cat” are two sculptures with very different tales to tell. “Brass Cat” emphasizes innate playfulness. The “Black Cat” emphasizes an unnatural stoicism. In both instances, their visual stories are differentiated by the way they contrast each other in terms of color, proportion, and dynamic.
The reflective qualities of the warm golden color found in the “Brass Cat” project playfulness and add depth and dynamics to the piece. Black, on the other hand, has the ability to absorb light and creates uniformity in appearance. “Black Cat” employs black to tell the tale of a cat stoic in nature.
Additionally, proportion makes these two pieces stand apart from one another. Realistic proportions lend an authenticity to a cat that seems in many other ways un-cat-like in “Brass Cat”. Unrealistic use of proportion in “Black Cat” is evident in the oversized midsection of the cat. Disproportion lends an unnatural quality to the piece.
Finally, contrasting dynamics are employed to show that these two pieces truly are polar opposites. “Brass Cat” tells the story of a cat ready to pounce, an act of playfulness. The line work in his legs and wide stance hint at his intentions. “Black Cat” gives the impression that he is not planning to go anywhere in the near future, reticent of stoicism and sedentariness. This message is communicated through the omission of limbs and inclusion of a square base.
Even though the sculptures “Brass Cat” and “Black Cat” portray the same subject, a cat, the visual stories they tell are as different as day and night. Both pieces contrast one another by the use of reflective versus non-reflective color, realistic versus unrealistic proportion, and active versus inactive dynamic. These differences culminate to tell the tale of two different kitties.
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