Daniel Carlsten is a Swedish art director, graphic designer and illustrator who has worked for companies such as Hermès, Google and Van Cleef & Arpels. He has received several design awards and some of his work has earned places in the permanent collections of institutions such as Nationalmuseum in Stockholm, and Rööhska Design Museum in Gothenburg.
He doesn’t have a cat, but wrote a book about our feline friends. He answered some questions about his work for us.
Wait, you find cats creepy? Cats?
Daniel: Of course I do. The soft fur aside, cats have sharp teeth and claws. They move without making a sound, jump up on your lap without warning. They bring presents of dead birds and mice to your doorstep!
But what really makes cats stand out is the special status humans give them. I have a general fascination for people’s relationship with other species. We train dogs to behave less like dogs. We make fish live in glass tanks with plastic pirate ships. Parrots sit on swings and mice have gyms.
But cats are special. They don’t follow the rules, and they’re not expected to. So I wanted to explore this freedom we give them. What are they up to? I thought if I could explore that, they would make me less uneasy. By showing them doing activities in ways humans can relate to, I could show how people and cats aren’t so different after all.
What is easier: drawing for luxury brands or making a kid’s book?
Daniel: Definitely working for brands. That’s a collaboration. It’s about finding a way for me to be part their universe, or, best case, expanding it through my work. Making a kids book is much more open, a blank slate. That’s harder!
And books are permanent. Most of my commercial work is used for a limited chunk of time, and then they make another campaign and you never see those images again. A book is a book forever. It’s going to be in people’s houses, stores, flea markets, thrift shops, libraries, passed down to younger siblings and so forth—forever!
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