Why Cats Paint: A Theory of Feline Aesthetics

Why Cats Paint: A Theory of Feline Aesthetics, by Heather Busch and Burton Silver, Ten Speed Press, 1994, softback, 96 pages.

From the Liner Note:

The fact that some domestic cats are able to make marks with paint has always been explained by biologists as an instinctive form of territorial marking behavior. Now, Why Cats Paint presents a cogently argued theory based on recent evidence which clearly supports the view that some cats' marks are aestheticlly motivated and should be regarded as genuine works of non-primate art.

 As well as being an unprecedented photographic record of the artistic cat at work, Why Cats Paint also explains many aspects of everyday cat behavior for the first time. Why do cats sit for long periods in self-absorbed reflection? Why do they purr? What is happening when they suddenly rush madly about? And why do they lie on their backs and look at things upside down? All these questions and more, are now able to be answered within the very understandable context of art.

In this lavishly illustrated and thoroughly researched book, Heather Busch and Burton Silver outline the many different aspects of feline creativity and offer a detailed examination of representative works from the best-known cat artists around the world. 

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