AMERICANINE

A tourist’s view of New York City, from close to the pavement.

The low-slung canine of the title sports an American-flag makeover (with stars on his rump), and he is telling his buddies back in Paris what his trip to New York City was like. The tone is jaunty and casual and just a little satiric: “And check out my new look! So chic, right? I saw it everywhere.” His is a very doggy approach, as he recounts seeing foolish folks running in place (on gym treadmills), without any balls to chase, and others painting one another’s paws (in a nail salon). He is particularly impressed with the dog walkers and marvels at doggy bags. A note indicates Kebbi drew this in colored pencils entirely from his memories of student days in New York City. The images are made in a jittery and lively line and color, as if just dashed off. The crowds are often depicted from the dog’s point of view, the people disproportionately male, when gender is identifiable; one recurrent figure is a Hasid in a long black coat and tall black hat who stands out in the crowd scenes. There is some ethnic diversity, but many of the figures are so generic it is hard to judge.

As a study in European impressions of America, this fascinates; as a representation of New York, it’s more than a little idiosyncratic.