The Cats and the Rats (Dean Millien) Review by Janine Olshefski

 The Cats and the Rats (Dean Millien) PS1 Moma. Queens, New York

Janine Olshefski 

Surrounded by the modernistic pieces that inhabit the MoMA PS1, the work The Cats and the Rats by Dean Millien stands out and gives the space a breath of fresh air. During my visit to the museum in Queens, New York, I found the layout frustrating at times because it was slightly difficult to navigate, and when I did come across artwork, I felt little to no emotion towards it. Most of the artwork shown during my visit felt very repetitive, which is why, when I came across the work by Dean Millien, I felt a sense of relief.

My initial feelings were joy and excitement. I enjoyed the skillfully sculpted aluminum foil figures and the narrative at play between the aluminum foil cats and rats. As I kept looking, I became even more intrigued and wanted to read about the work itself because it’s not every day that you see an artist use such a basic household item as their main medium.

After reading the plaque on the wall, it became clear that the reason Millien chooses to use such a juvenile medium is because that’s all he knows how to use. He explains that in his youth, his father took away his toys because they were too loud, so he was forced to build his own fun. While it saddened me to read this, I was able to develop a greater appreciation for both the art and the artist by viewing the work through a different lens.