the coziness of kittens

image copyright and by kindest permission of the artist

We've seen Nashville artist Michele Farro before at the Museum (the beautiful Jack Bird's Cat).  I ran across her Etsy shop the other day and was struck by this monotype, "Mother Cat and Kittens."  Monotype is a print process that results in a one of a kind image: ink on a smooth, non-absorbent plate is pressed onto a sheet of paper, the original dropping out of existence as it's transferred. Farro mentions at Etsy that this piece was based on old family photographs, that is, old memories.  I feel this monotype is another way to capture memory at a remove - as the original moment drops away into time, it eventually surfaces on one sheet, encapsulated with the calm blur of one momcat's contentment.  One safe sweet instant, forever.