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Why Cats Paint: A Theory of Feline Aesthetics (1994)

by Heather Busch, Burton Silver

Series: Cat Art Books (1)

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7061334,656 (4.05)14
An unprecedented photographic record of cat creativity that will intrigue cat lovers and art lovers alike.
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» See also 14 mentions

Showing 1-5 of 13 (next | show all)
Such an incredible find amongst the Savers book selection. What may appear as a funny gift book with pictures of cats and inspirational quotes is seemingly a thoroughly researched and, in perfect cat fashion, quite dramatically written book on cat art. Cats who are artists. The history of cat art, profiles on cat artists and their styles, complete with detailed theorization and analysis. I honestly cannot figure out if this book is a joke, I certainly didn’t think so when I was first flipping through, but if it is, it seriously had me fooled and I guess I want to believe I live in a world that cat art is taken this seriously.

Meet cats such as Bootsie, whose aggressive style allows viewers to sense his thoughts and feelings through his paintings, or Smokey, the “Romantic Ruralist”, who indicates where in nature he would like his humans to set up his easel and paints by enthusiastically urinating to mark the area. If you’re not a fan of paintings, perhaps you’ll be interested by other forms of artistic expressions such as the complete destruction of an arm chair which creates an orifice for passage, or arranging yarn across the floor as a sort of pattern as a fiber art installation.

Perhaps you always wondered why cats are so drawn to the works of Vincent Van Gogh, it may be due to the likeness of his swirling paint strokes to the swirling of their own fur. If this review doesn’t entice you, then perhaps the depth and beauty of cat art is just too refined for you.

( )
  boufaroni | Aug 16, 2024 |
I love this and I'm not sure if it would be better as a self-aware joke or as dead serious art criticism. Either way it's a good read. ( )
  widdersyns | Jul 19, 2020 |
I enjoyed the pictures of the cats and their paintings. The funny thing about this book is how serious the people are about the behavior of the cats. While some people see this as a parody, the powers that be that give Dewey Decimal numbers shelve this with other cat behavior books instead of the comedy books. ( )
  eliorajoy | Feb 14, 2013 |
Absolutely brilliant satire. One of the funniest books you'll ever read about cats. Great images of cats painting, cat paintings, and other cat art. Truly inspired. A worthwhile way to spend time. ( )
  BryanThomasS | Nov 7, 2011 |
Cute, psuedo-academic analysis of why cats paint and dogs don't. Also details the different schools of feline painting. ( )
  macart3 | Oct 31, 2010 |
Showing 1-5 of 13 (next | show all)
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Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Busch, Heatherprimary authorall editionsconfirmed
Silver, Burtonmain authorall editionsconfirmed

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An unprecedented photographic record of cat creativity that will intrigue cat lovers and art lovers alike.

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