Sugar hit Bonnard exhibition: Viewed 26 July 2023

Bonnard, Pierre. 1894. The White Cat (Le Chat blanc). Painting. National Gallery of Victoria, Australia.

I saw the Bonnard Designed by India Mahdavi exhibition on 26 July 2023. I found the florid wallpaper and plush furniture designed by India Mahdavi an unnecessary distraction from the figurative and still life works, already too brightly coloured for my liking. The exhibition seemed overly large, filling multiple galleries, or perhaps this was due to the unrelieved nature of the constantly bright array of colours.

While the white cat could be simply stretching its back, I chose to interpret its stance as defensive or nervy, as this resonates with my prickly response to the sensory overload. In this regard I am aware that I am projecting my meaning onto the cat’s posture as a form of symbolism (Adrienne Dengerink 2005, 9 ).

As well as providing a practical example of how I projected my feelings on an object (Adrienne Dengerink 2005, 9), this exhibition illustrated the affective power of colour, and my aesthetic preference for a more muted range.

Photograph by Elizabeth Cole of Pierre Bonnard's The White Cat (Le Chat Blanc), 2023.

Bibliography:

• Adrienne Dengerink, Chaplin. 2005. Art and Embodiment: Biological and Phenomenological Contributions to Understanding Beauty and the Aesthetic. Ann Arbor, MI: Michigan Publishing, University of Michigan Library.