Artist: Erika Chapman
Title: Maximus (Any Way is Up)
Medium: Acrylic, ink and graphite on cast resin and hot glue
Dimensions: 10 X 12.5 inches
Price: $250
About the Artwork:
The “any shape” concept of this show immediately called me to create something that evokes that magical ability cats have of filling the space they occupy. Whether it is a box, your bathroom sink, or the space between your couch cushions, that is the form they take, and they own it! I normally work on plexiglass or other transparent surfaces and wanted to retain that aspect for this project, so I built a mold based roughly on the shape of Maximus’ body and used it to make my surface of the resin. This also allowed me to add a series of rings to the back so he could be displayed in any orientation…which also reflects cats’ flexibility of shape.
About the Artist:
Erika Chapman paints expressive portraits of cats, treating their faces and figures with the level of emotion and individuality traditionally reserved for human subjects. Her ongoing project The Sandwich Cats originated with and for her daughter, and the theme of motherhood often resurfaces alongside the more overt topics of animal rescue and our definitions of “human” emotions.
Erika lives and works in West Palm Beach, FL with her husband, daughter and two cats. She spends her free time playing Dungeons & Dragons, petting rescue cats at the local shelter, cooking, and being generally awkward.
