The Shape of Things : Artwork 6

A seated cat rendered in one unbroken continuous line, face etched with the kind of calm that can only be described as deliberate, body perfectly contained. Around it, sweeping abstract forms expand outward like energy the cat has simply chosen not to use. That contrast is the entire composition. In figure-ground terms, the still linear subject holds authority over everything around it because the eye is drawn to the element that is not moving, and this cat is absolutely not moving. The cat occupies a cherished place across Arab and Persian tradition as a symbol of grace and quiet intelligence. This piece captures both without trying too hard, which is also very much in the spirit of the cat.