Rats and Gaps

Poking Your Nose Into Your Neighbors Door

Gouache on Artboard

A rat is in an expanding room. On each end of the warped room is a door, one in proportion to the rat within and the other far too large to use. However both doors have a small gap in their corner, the larger just big enough to squeeze through. A gap is both an opportunity to grow and a risk. For every rats growth is another rats decline. Although each rat must stomp out those that invade their room they must also mooch off their next larger compatriot. 

This was my favorite image of the four. It was also the last one I made, which I think contributed to it. A lot of the time I look back on failed art projects and blame their concept, but more and more I'm thinking it just needed a second or third approach. 

MOOCH!

Gouache on Artboard

The concept didn't translate well. People thought the rats were anteaters, and the layout of the room wasn't understood. Still, even if the exact symbolism didn't come across, I think the message did.