Eric Zetterquist: Beth Cavener’s ‘The Other’ at Jason Jacques Gallery

Human emotions are sometimes best personified by non-human stand-ins, especially when they are dark or too challenging.  This is not a new phenomenon.  Native Americans imbued animal spirits with human motivations.  Children often use dolls to express their innermost feelings.  C. S. Lewis wrote of “Daemons”; animal companions who reflected the inner conscience and spirit of the human character.

Beth Cavener’s haunting work, now viewable in a handsomely installed exhibition at Jason Jacques Gallery in New York, confronts viewers with raw human emotions personified by animals. They include sexual identity, co-dependence, and feelings of entrapment.