But…I don’t like Cats

The cat is an artist. Or the artist is a cat. Or wait. I don’t like cats.

I am a dog person, but this claim of identification is purely based on the fact that I have had one dog during my short existence in this world. I have never owned a cat; I have touched cats, but did not find it appealing, it seemed so distant, like it could not care less about the fact that I was petting it. Of course, I can entertain the thought that I was not stroking the cat the right way or maybe that particular cat was an asshole.

But regardless, dogs are important to me, because I grew up with my first and only dog. I met him when we were both young, and unfortunately, he passed away when I was entering my senior year of high school. Sorry to bring the mood to a somber level, but it happened. Nothing can make me forget about the connection I had with my dog – but it makes me wonder, what if my first pet was a cat? (I mean I swear my dog purred once)

I was surfing the internet, as one does to run away from the last bit of work they have to do during a semester, when I ran into a blog post that featured pictures of famous artists with their cats.

Apparently cats are frequent muses for artists – a “creative companion” of sorts. So wait, am I not an artist then? Should I go and buy a cat? The only cats I have ever respected is Tom and Sylvester – both of whom never give up despite their foiled efforts to catch their prey. But neither of them is real. You cannot find me a cat that will sit on the train tracks in depression after his girlfriend dumps him. You cannot find me a cat with such an intense emotional gravitas.

Of course, this whole photographical representation of the relationships between artists and their cats is to be considered in moderation. By no means is it a requirement. But often, these little posts that bring up interesting coincidences that are backed up by some sort of statistical evidence, make me wonder about my own position. The conclusion is never that relative to the very coincidence that got me going in the first place, but nonetheless, I realize a little bit more about myself. Similar to how we respond to banal platitudes. And everyone knows how clichéd those are, right?

Pablo Picasso

Link to some more pictures.

Intimate Portraits of 50 Artists and Their Cats Compiled by Alison Nastasi

 

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