Customer Reviews: Read 3 more reviews...
 Delicious book! December 24, 2007
This is a wonderful book, with very nice photos. The art world jargon is very believable. The cats are presented the way typically artists are shown and described by the art establishment.Abstract expressionsim is covered mostly, also you will have examples of installation art. Deliciuos and heart warming!I trully recommend this book, if you are an aillurophile yourself, or want it as a gift for a cat person, or an artist.
Essential, despite its flaws December 7, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Several theories of feline art have been put forward over the years, and this volume may serve as an excellent introduction to the uninitiated. Influential feline artists are discussed and their work reprinted in glorious detail. There is, however, a strong bias towards the mainstream of cat art. Important, indeed vital, underground movements are completely ignored. The street art of alley cats is sadly overlooked, perhaps reflecting the authors deference to the curators of that ivory tower, the Museum of Non Primate Art.
Also lacking is any serious discussion of Queer Theory, so vital in the deconstruction of any mammalian artistic representations.
Yet in spite of these flaws, Why Cats Paint remains an important and influential volume that no connaisseur of feline aesthetics can afford to ignore.
The cat's meow November 16, 2007
Like the other reviewers, I thought this was a spoof - and remain convinced that it is. It puts one in the eye to all the art-critics we love to hate, with its coy descriptions and slightly Queenish attitude...if you love cats, you'll recognise many of the characters described. The photographs are wonderful and in the best pawssible taste too. An ideal gift for a catophilic friend, or for yourself if you need a bit of a lift. Recommended reading!
Painting Cats - [...]! January 25, 2007
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I thought this was a joke at first, but it does look like the evidence is there to suggest the pussies have a sense of aesthetics. These paintings are certainly more than merely territorial markings. I've had several cats myself but never had a cat who made any attempt to paint or create other forms of art. However, that doesn't necessarily mean it isn't possible. Just as some humans are artists, perhaps some cats are inclined that way too? It makes me wonder if there might be cat musicians and cat writers.
The cat's meow July 1, 2005
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
The first time I saw this book, I thought it was such a riot that I couldn't stop laughing. But then, as the pages progressed, a small thought crept over me -- 'could this be serious?' I am a person owned by cats - if one includes the kittens, I've had 19 cats officially (and another half-dozen stray hangers-on who know that food will be forthcoming). It had never occurred to me to give them paint! What would happen if I did? The photography in the book is impressive. Working with children or animals in the best of settings is never easy for a photographer, but Heather Busch is to be commended for bravery, patience, and creativity that obviously rivals the cat-subjects of the text. Stunning colour shows not only the cats' creations, but the cats themselves, often matching their artistic styles in body as well as spirit (for example, Rusty, the orange tabby, likes to paint in a rustic manner; Wong and Lulu collaborate on interesting abstractions, etc.). The text is written with ironic skill and creative flair by Burton Silver (cats may paint, but have yet to write...). Silver (the name of one of my cats, by the way) is a writer and art critic based in New Zealand, having written on subjects such as contemporary erotic Japanese paper sculpture. In addition to going through a contemporary survey, the authors look at the history of cat art (including a Xois funerary discovery, ancient Egyptian art, medieval illuminations, and more). It also looks at the psychology of why cats paint (hence the title) -- the fascinating theory of Invertism is a case in point, which explains why cats lie on their heads looking at objects upside down approximately 3% of the day. A funny book. A fascinating book. A beautiful book. My cats each give it paws up!
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