Strauss & co - 8 - 11 November 2020

149 T O P L A C E A B I D C L I C K O N T H E R E D L O T N U M B E R The ‘Big Cat’ series, with variations on the theme ranging from domestic cats through to life-size and larger-than-life examples of wild cats, is amongst Dylan Lewis’s most popular subjects. Lewis’s sculptures are initially conceived as drawings that capture the nature and the vitality of the subject he is recording. These sketch- book pages serve both as reference and inspiration for his sculptural compositions. These lively drawings, with responsive use of line and rhythm, capture the essence of what he seeks to express in clay where the modelling process transforms it into expressive and dynamic volume and vitalises the waking animal. These poses of cheetah and leopard, whether in repose or alert, demonstrate the interplay of muscular dynamism. It is not surprising, therefore, that these embodiments of languid power and grace are to be found in many prominent collections, on golf courses and in botanical gardens. ‘To me the Cat is the ancient guardian of wilderness, repository of elegance, sensuality and power.’ 1 1. Dylan Lewis, in Laura Twiggs (ed) (2006) Forces of Nature: The Sculpture of Dylan Lewis, Pardus, page 42.