Gallery No. 1--Cats

I'm quite fond of galleries of all kinds, so I recently decided my next project would be a gallery. The subject matter? Cats. I'm more of a dog person but find that when I'm behind the camera, I connect with cats much better for some reason.

This particular gallery took quite a few months to assemble. Many people have asked why I decided to focus on just two cats, and the answer is that it's due to a variety of reasons. I feel the sense of intimacy is much greater with two subjects and also, I live with both of these cats so it kept transportation and studio fees to a minimum.

I hope you enjoy this gallery. I've been deciding the proper venue to display it in, as I feel the traditional "art space" wouldn't fully allow the subjects to shine, and would really be in opposition to the underlying theme of the piece. I decided to post a preview of the gallery up here, at least until I hear back from the AGO or the City of Toronto Transportation Department (for display on subways, streetcars, bus shelters, etc.). I am also awaiting responses from several school gymnasiums.



So here it is: Money & Marley.

As always, I welcome all feedback.

PS--On a related note, a few months ago, I decided to do an experiment in the 'Free' section part of craigslist and see if I could post something so pointless and illogical that no one would want it. I posted an ad entitled "Free pictures of my cat." The ad said:

"I recently moved into a basement apartment and had to give up my cat. I have a lot of really nice pictures of her and was wondering if anyone would want them. I'd hate to throw away perfectly good pictures, but I don't really need them anymore. If you like pictures of cats then you will love these. Let me know if you would like them."

I figured at most I would receive some hate mail calling me a horrible person for not caring about my cat, and perhaps some people asking if I was for real. I didn't think anyone would actually respond asking for the cat pictures--if you want cat pictures, you usually go right to Google image and type in 'cat pictures.' Well, I received both of those responses and a few more, too. Here are some of the replies I received:

"This has to be a joke - you got rid of your cat but don't want to just get rid of the photos? That's sad, or I'm just a fool.." --Bob

"Who throws away pictures? Especially pictures of your cat you once loved??" --Dr. Marvin (who also told me to "Stay Golden")

-Me and my daughter would love to have some cat pictures, we love cats!! --Greg

-"I want your cat photos a lot. I live in Montreal, so you'd have to mail them for me. I want to use them for a series of drawings. I've done cat-related work before, so you know I'm not nuts (or maybe just a little.) I can pay for the shipping if you like." --Crystal

-"Do you still have photos of your cat?"--Melanie (received one month after I posted the ad, which would mean she was going wayyyy back into the archives for free stuff)

Everyone who requested the cat pictures was sent a copy of the photos in this gallery, as a way of testing the waters and seeing public response. I received a lot of positive feedback, which really pushed me to finish the gallery and display it to the public. From this experience, I also learned that you can post anything on the 'Free' section of craigslist and someone, somewhere will want it.