Why Paint Cats: The Ethics of Feline Aesthetics

Why Paint Cats: The Ethics of Feline Aesthetics, by Burton Silver and Heather Busch, Ten Speed Press, 2002, softback, 96 pages.

From the Liner Note:

Why did a woman in California pay an artist $15,000 to paint her cat to look like a pig? What made a New York stockbroker spend even more to have Charlie Chaplin painted on his cat's prosterior? Why Paint Cats reveals that, far from being an amusement for the idle rich, this seemingly aberrant behavior is part of a new art movement that claims to promote a better understanding of the cats in our lives.

Following the international success of their previous collaboration on feline aesthetics, Why Cats Paint, author Burton Silver and photographer Heather Busch turn their scholarly attention to the cat as canvas. Cat painting has been practiced by Eastern cultures for centuries, but is only now becoming popular in the West as internationally-respected artists such as Matt Gauri in America and Bridget Brukner in Germany pioneer the use of electrostatic paint brushes and modern hair dyes to usher in a new breed of designer cats.

Silver details all the latest trends including Transmoggificationism, Neo-Totemism and the controversial Retromingent Expressionism, drawing conclusions that will provoke, amuse, startle and enlighten. Exhaustively researched and lavishly illustrated, this insightful and engaging book raises important ethical questions and explores the rights of cat owners to reinvent their feline companions in the name of art. 

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