“A DEPENDENT” BY JIM JENKINS

Watch a video of Jim Jenkins kinetic sculpture, “A Dependent”. The electronic, motor-operated piece contains rotating words that change back and forth from “NEED”, “LOVE” “FEED”, “HOLD”, "KEEP” and “PET” while the word "ME" remains fixed and its mechanical tail wags from side to side. This contemporary artwork was inspired by the movement of a cat's tail and anyone who is dependent on another.

“A Dependent is another piece inspired by nature. In this case, however, it was not birds but rather a cat’s tail that sparked the piece. After having dinner one night at a friend’s house we were relaxing in the living room and I became entranced watching the slow, wagging motion of their cat’s tail. I then set out to mechanically reproduce that movement. Cat’s strike me as somewhat self centered animals so that’s why the word “ME” is featured so prominently. In the end, the title A Dependent allows the work to symbolize the thoughts of anyone who is dependent upon another.” -Jim Jenkins