Clip description
Mac trudges up the hill, followed by his loyal Mutt. The milking done, Mutt would love to play with the bovine Matilda, but must follow Mac to meet the milk truck. Mac collects his meagre payment, but there is no reward for Mutt. Mutt is left all alone with his ball till nightfall. Undeterred in his enthusiasm, he bounds up the hill to play with Matilda.
Curator’s notes
Mac the farmer’s boots say much about the wearer: worn out but tough, made for hard work, certainly not for ‘tripping the light fantastic’. Mutt’s expectant grin and enthusiastic tail say the opposite – this dog loves to play. This sequence underlines the distinct obsessions of Mac the farmer and his dog Mutt. Mac, a slave to work, is impervious to Mutt’s love of play.