Rabbits + Books series

In this earlier body of work, James McGrath placed rabbits within the grand interiors of baroque libraries—most notably the Strahov Monastic Library in Prague—not simply as decorative elements, but as personal metaphors. The rabbits stand in for the artist himself: tentative, alert, and slightly overwhelmed in the face of immense knowledge and visual richness. With their wide eyes and poised stillness, the rabbits embody McGrath’s initial hesitation to respond artistically to such an imposing intellectual space. These works trace that moment of creative vulnerability—where the urge to make is shadowed by the weight of centuries of accumulated thought, craft, and memory. The rabbits become a bridge between the viewer and the library, inviting a more instinctive, bodily reading of the space—one that contrasts with the cerebral function of books. Their presence introduces a kind of softness and hesitation, offering a moment of pause in rooms otherwise designed for certainty and order. Through this juxtaposition, McGrath reflects on the artist’s place in history: small, alert, and very much aware of the shelves that tower above.