Days of Judgement: Cat 1

You’ve definitely seen it on your way into campus. A black, shadowy figure cemented into the turf outside the new bus complex. I have to admit when I first saw it, it looked like a prank, but it is actually a part of Laura Ford’s “Days of Judgement” sculpture series.

Considering Warwick campus is already a vast metropolis of interesting visual architecture including the all-seeing Koan and that thing that looks like two penguins kissing if you really squint, it seems like this bin-bagged cat is going to be a welcome addition.

In more recent times, Laura Ford has used status in the City of London to represent the growing finance culture that is taking over.

It is supposed to be a cat-like figure, dejected, emotionless, inspired by the figures of Adam and Eve in a Renaissance painting by artist Massacio when they were expelled from the Garden of Eden. In more recent times, Laura Ford has used them in the City of London to represent the growing finance culture that is taking over.

Many were asking why Miss Ford chose to bring one of her mysterious cats to Warwick, but in that context it makes sense. With the amount of Warwick graduates queuing up to sell their souls and youth to the biggest banks in the capital, this will serve as reminder what they will be signing up for. On their way home from exams in Term 3, they may be disturbed by the sculpture, but it will serve as a reminder that as soon as they finish their degree, it could be them. How lovely. How relevant.

With the amount of Warwick graduates queuing up to sell their souls and youth to the biggest banks in the capital, this will serve as reminder what they will be signing up for.

When recruiters flock to the Piazza with their free smoothies and coffees to entice more Freshers to apply for their Spring Weeks, they will feel a strange pang of guilt as the eyeless figure casts a shadow over their empty promises. Luckily for them, this equates to a day off from work on overtime where they can pretend they are back at university and don’t have to worry about going back to the bleak and grey background of their ‘hot’ office desk, and deal with Neil from Audit.

Unfortunately, we could not contact the artist for comment at this time, but in her stead we will heed the advice that she has given as part of the piece: “Do not climb.” Whether that is related to mounting the sculpture or an allusion to the illusory success of “climbing” the corporate ladder perpetuated through the complex bonus structure with the incentive of money that tends to lock young professionals into heavy working hours, leading many to deep depression and substance abuse problems, we can only guess.

It was probably the first one though, wasn’t it? Oops.