Will Paint for Meow Mix

Years ago, I had a Himalayan cat named Hosehead (after the dog in Strange Brew). What can I say? I was young. He went by Hoser for short.

Anyway, he bore a remarkable resemblance to the cat on the cover of “Why Cats Paint”. This is probably why a friend gave me a copy. That, and the fact that at one point I had something like ten or eleven cats (I was the person you dumped your unwanted pregnant cat on or the now not-so-cute kitten you’d been given for Christmas or whatever).

Anyway, for some reason I started thinking about this again, and I believe it could be a viable business plan. Apparently people are willing to pay big bucks for cat art – thousands of dollars a pop (see excerpt on the undeniable insanity of humanity below). My current cat, Siddhartha, has his occasional charms but artistic genius does not seem to be one of them (mostly he just sleeps and eats). However, Christmas is just around the corner, and perhaps Santa will help finance the purchase of a feline da Vinci?

I can see it now: I’ll bring a palette of paints and a suitable canvas when observing all prospective litters for the potential ‘chosen one’. Only the kitten showing both interest and potential will be selected. From there, it’s a rocket ship to the moon as we travel the globe exhibiting his or her works, selling them for hundreds of thousands of dollars, and sniffing cat nip. Hell, it’s practically foolproof.

I can only wonder why I didn’t think of it before….

To support my business plan, check out this article about the Phillip Wood gallery found online:

When the Philip Wood Gallery in Berkeley, California opened in the fall of 1994 it had on show the first international exhibition of paintings and works created by cats — complete with Artist in Residence, Buster.

Gallery owner Philip Wood was keen to reverse the blinkered view held by most scientists and art historians which had determined that the marks that cats had been making with paint and other media for centuries were territorially motivated rather than having any aesthetic intent.

Philip Wood co-opted the assistance of leading cat-art expert Heather Busch to both curate the exhibition and to be on hand to answer the many questions which they knew would be raised. The show was an instant success, several visitors even turned up with their cats to get first hand advice regarding painting techniques and to present their cats with positive role models. (This my favorite part. People showing up with their no-talent pets hoping to inspire them: “Whiskers! Look at what Buster painted. Why can’t you be more like Buster!?”)

The Gallery, which is situated on the corner of Solano and Modoc, is open on weekends until the end of 1995 when the exhibit will travel to Europe. Some merchandise is available at the Gallery, including a Limited Edition Print of “Beam Me Up” a famous piece of work by world renowned cat artist, Orangello. (This is my second favorite part. It’s definitely imperative that I give my future artiste an appropriately regal, artistic, and ridiculous name.)

Tags: animal artists, art, cat art, cat artwork, cat masterpiece, cat paintings, cats painting, feline aesthetics, feline art, Himalayan cat, Humor, Life, Orangello, people are crazy, Phillip Wood Gallery, why cats paint, why cats paint book

Humor, Life, Pets | RSS 2.0 | Respond | Trackback |