Zach Hooker, In Case of Emergency, Break Cat, 1995, 7.4 cm x 4.5 cm x 4.5 cm, found objects (toy cat, yarn, Xanax)
Although it represents the entirety of Hooker’s sculptural output, In Case of Emergency, Break Cat nonetheless spent the years between 1996 and 2011 tragically incomplete and shut off from view, as an actual emergency shortly after the piece’s creation forced Hooker to give the Xanax away to a panicky roommate. Fortunately, this was accomplished without actually breaking the toy cat. In November of 2011, the artist undertook conservation work on the piece, having received a prescription for Xanax in advance of some long-haul air travel. The restored piece now sits on Hooker’s desk, where it belongs, just in case.
