Two books by Burton Silver and Heather Busch on cat painting or painting cats have taken the world of cat lovers by storm: Why Paint Cats: The Ethics of Feline Aesthetics and Why Cats Paint: A Theory of Feline Aesthetics. See what all the hype’s about and order the books below.
Why Cats Paint: A Theory of Feline Aesthetics
As all cat lovers know, cats are highly intelligent animals. Some owners have discovered that their cats are artistic and creative too. This book features a collection of paintings made by cats. You will be amazed at the different styles and moods depicted through these paintings. The book can also be seen as an ironic comparison to human-created abstract art and art critique. As News Week comments: “Cats overwhelmingly favor abstract expressionism, and none imitates Andrew Wyeth…it nails the pretentiousness of art criticism to the wall.” Buy the book and judge for yourself on the artistic abilities of cats, or if you have a cat owner friend that’s convinced her cat has hidden talents, maybe this will make the purrfect gift to confirm her suspicions!
Why Paint Cats: The Ethics of Feline Aesthetics
From the same author, this book does not depict the cat as the artist, but the cat as art (and canvas). It is packed full of photos of different cat breeds with their fur painted in all designs. From a cat painted as a fish, cats depicting faces, flags, symbols, other animals or interesting patterns, this is definitely something out of the ordinary. Having your cat painted is seen as a whole new trend among the rich and they will go all out and pay ridiculous amounts to follow this fashion. An “expert artistic analysis” a photo and its “school of art” and deeper meaning also accompanies every entry. Once again it flippantly jokes with art critics’ expertise and also raise some provoking questions about the ethics of submitting your pet to the ordeal of becoming a walking canvas. This beautiful book overflowing with visual stimulus can make the perfect coffee table conversation starter or art-lover’s gift and will keep your attention for a very, very long time.
Some thought-provoking questions raised by these best-sellers:
What about the ethics in having your cat painted?
Most cat lovers are delighted by the photos, but naturally are concerned about the ethical question. This question has raised many hefty and fiery debates. Although the book persists that it only uses non-toxic materials such as food coloring to paint the cats and that no cats were in any discomfort during the painting procedures, many cat lovers beg to differ. Can cats really sit still for such long periods? Some of the paintings were claimed to have been done in small time intervals, so as not to discomfort the cat. Are the substances really non-toxic and harmless? Cats are very sensitive animals, and even if no immediate effects are shown, could it maybe be absorbed by the skin and hold some complications later on? And a not unimportant question: Is it right towards the dignity of your cat? Perhaps the answers would be – it depends on the cat’s reaction to being painted. Some cat owners claim their cats absolutely love all the attention. Another important issue that couldn’t be stressed enough: PLEASE DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME WITH YOUR OWN CAT, without consulting your vet and obtaining enough professional facts on which safe, non-toxic substances to use.
Can cats really paint? And why would they? The answer to this is definitely yes…depending on your definition of paint. There are even some early records of Egyptian papyrus scrolls with cat paw prints on them. In ancient Egypt cats were seen as deities so this certainly wouldn’t be out of accident. In the Victorian age, some cat lovers also had their cats produce portraits. This is not at all an uncommon practice. Cats are naturally curious and playful creatures and some owners may even have seen their cats attempting to produce an “artwork” while the owner was attempting to paint the house. There are several tests you can perform to test your cats creative ability. Just remember, if you venture to let your cat paint, please use non-toxic harmless substances. Consult the experts or your vet to make sure you are not potentially setting out to harm your cat.
..And lastly, a question a lot of people ask:
Are Why Cats Paint and Why Paint Cats fake? It certainly is easy to digitally edit photos these days. There is no proof that the images weren’t digitally “enhanced”, but we think it is unlikely that they are complete fakes. There are references of cat owners and some people have paid big money to have their cats in the limelight. As for the artistic interpretations – don’t you think you can ask that about any form of art? The best way to find out, is to buy these books and decide for yourself.
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