16 gather to share their artistic creations inspired by their beloved pets, some inspired by animals on a more global level, and a few who dare to portray their vision of "animal as human". This eclectic show includes video, painting, pen and ink, photography, and mixed media installation.
Come have breakfast with Ginger, a Golden Retriever with the best of table manners, in a video by Barb and Scott Withers, take time to study Zehra Khan's intense 91 inch pen drawing entitled "The Beastiary", and you can't help smiling when you see Lorenzo the Cat in his latest dashing outfit as photographed by Joann Biondi. This is just a small sampling of the artwork.
Please don't forget to bring a small donation of cat food or cat litter, for "Pets In Need"*, to place on a special installation created just for this show.
ARTISTS Bren Bataclan
Joann Biondi
Cathy Durso
Lindsay Florence
Melissa Glick
Debra Harvey
Zehra Khan
Amy Lucker
Lee Mandell
Alison Safford
Marcella Stasa
Mary McGlynn Swigart
V Van Sant
Barb and Scott Withers
Ilyn Wong
Bren Bataclan •
www.bataclan.com •
smileyb@bataclan.com
"Tarsier Monkey"
Last year, I visited my birthplace, the Philippines, to finally see one of the world's smallest primates, the tarsier monkeys. I knew that I would fall in love with them; however, I didn't expect to become obsessed with these four inch tall primates. As soon as I got back to Cambridge, I began to paint these adorable creatures. Now, my tarsier monkey cartoon style renderings are one of my most popular paintings. And I've just had shirts made out of them. I wanted to take one back home with me but since I couldn't, I guess incorporating tarsier monkeys in my artwork is the closest thing to having them as pets.
Joann Biondi •
www.LorenzotheCat.com •
joannbiondi@bellsouth.net
"Rasta Cat"
A Maine Coon with the patience of a Buddhist monk and the soul of a philosopher, Lorenzo the Cat was born on Halloween and tossed in a garbage can at birth—a traumatic ordeal that he has fully recovered from without the aid of psychotherapy. Biondi adopted Lorenzo when he was a few weeks old and instantly sensed that she had a natural model on her hands—for Lorenzo, the camera was catnip. He loved it. And he loved wearing clothes. It was as if he knew that that’s what he was put on the planet to do. Wear clothes, pose for the camera, and make people laugh.
Yes, Biondi attributes “human characteristics” to Lorenzo, and to claims that she is guilty of anthropomorphism she says, feh! Like Charles Darwin, she sees the difference between humans and animals as a matter of degree rather than kind, and believes cats—and all animals—do indeed feel and express emotions. She thinks there is an innate intelligence inside Lorenzo’s furry little head, and she tries to capture that intelligence in her photographs. And she does so naturally; no Photoshop magic wand involved.
Cathy Durso •
www.cathydurso.net •
cathyadurso@gmail.com
"Minibeasts: Marine Edition"
This series of drawings explores humanity's connection with animals. The grid format that is present throughout the series represents our way of compartmentalizing and taking control over the natural world. This is a seeming contradiction to the way the animals are handled on the paper: the gentle way they are drawn and their tiny size makes them feel like something we would want to care for. The meticulous stitching of red thread throughout the series expresses fragile connections and contradictions. To create these drawings I carefully studied animals that were previously both familiar and unfamiliar to me. I cared for each one individually and came to understand how amazing and unique each one truly is.
Lindsay Florence •
www.lindsayflorenceart.com •
Lindsay.a.florence@gmail.com
“Waiting for my Ruca”
“Waiting for my Ruca” is a portrait of my dog. I wanted to capture the nearly human personality and expression I see in her. Like most pet owners, I feel that Ruca is more than just a dog; she is my most loyal companion and possesses many admirable traits. I’ve painted numerous portraits of people and thought it was time to do a portrait of my Ruca, since to me she is just as important as any person.
Melissa Glick •
Glick.melissa@gmail.com
"Critter Quilt: Dedicated to the memory of Gretel (1966-1978)"
I grew up with a dachshund named Gretel whom I loved dearly. When she died I was 16 and it was my first experience of death. It was traumatic. She was 82 in dog years. The photo in the quilt is not Gretel but a temporary substitute a guy gave me when I was in College. Having a puppy in your dorm room is not only subterfuge but also difficult. Needless to say he was never trained and behaved very badly. He was very popular on campus but eventually I had to return him. (That’s another story….)
I am a photographer who has sewn my whole life. Taught by my grandmother, she was a diligent seamstress who made matching outfits for 6 granddaughters, as well as flower girl and bat mitzvah gowns for me, her youngest. Combing photography and sewing in this quilt in memory of my dear sweet Gretel, is like my grandmother’s, a work of love.
I make photographs, digital collage, assemblage and various other 3D objects. I studied at SUNY Purchase and Mass College of Art. To me, art making is an undercurrent, encompassing work, play, family, the personal and the private.
Debra Harvey • www.alexandrarosie.etsy.com
"1863 Dog Hooked Mat"
I love working with fiber in all forms, from a simple piece of muslin to roving and wool.
The history of such utilitarian forms of 17th and 18th century folk art such as quilts, rugs, dolls, etc. give me inspiration.
The images of “Little Critters” have long been incorporated in necessary items and have always been and will always be an integral part of my life. It is by far my favorite subject matter.
Zehra Khan •
www.zehrakhan.com •
zehra@zehrakhan.com
"The Beastiary"
I draw animals. Their mouths are open wide in a manic moment indistinguishable between playing and fighting. They are analogues for the vulnerable experience of humans searching for companionship and fulfillment. Many of my creatures rely on alcohol, or they become social smokers. With these blunders come anger, excessive indulgence, bliss and bitterness, which dramatize the complex motives of people who are trying to attract a mate.
Alison Safford •
alibiali@hotmail.com
"Twitch"
This is a video I made, amused by the twitching feet of the family dog Sadie while she slept and dreamed.
I love twitching and hovering and fluttering and shaking things, things that show the hidden nervousness, energy, or in this case, a dream-state or another existence.
Marcella Stasa • www.marcellastasa.com •
mstasa@charter.net
"Dweezil"
I hate parting with my dead pets so I keep their bones, whiskers, claws and photos to use in my work. The Dweezil doll features my pup’s face, I thought he looked great in a dress.
Mary McGlynn Swigart •
Mary.Swigart@ge.com
"Play?"
Last winter I suddenly had the urge to paint. Until that moment, I had never in my life picked up a paintbrush. But all at once I was seized by the urge to immortalize something. You might be wondering what that something was…it was my dog, Becky. Taking a picture of her was simply not enough. It wasn’t simply an urge to capture her image; it was an urge to show her as I see her. I wanted to capture how she speaks to me. I wanted to show the very special relationship that exists between us. It wasn’t enough to have someone else paint a portrait of her- it had to be me. How could anyone else capture something so special as our relationship?
With the help of a great organization called Pet Union Project, my husband and I rescued Becky last year from a high kill shelter in the south. She was only 12 weeks old. We are so lucky- she is truly a special puppy. Her eagerness to greet and please those around her is amazing. She has a very unique personality. With the three paintings I am submitting (“Becky Smiles”, “Soulful Eyes”, and “Play?”) I have tried to capture some of these different aspects of her personality and how she always connects and communicates with me.
My artistic resume is extremely short. I have only started painting this year. Although thanks to Becky, I have begun to paint many different subjects and have found that I really enjoy combining color, motion, expression, and shape to create a unique expression of an image. So far I have completed 9 paintings, I have covered over and repainted just as many, and I am working on a 10th.
V Van Sant • www.vvansant.artworldtapestry.com •
vvans1@earthlink.net
The trouble with Tribbles... is that she's gone!
This altar of sorts is dedicated to my last little furry love, Tribbles. Tempted to touch it's furry surface, the table moves as if an animal is responding. Predominately pink, because she was such a girly girl, Tribble's whiskers adorn a symbolic one-eyed creature that binds human to animal and spirit. Hearts pile up and each one contains an animal spirit loved, then lost.
Barb and Scott Withers • www.youtube.com/user/sawith65 •
withersfam@mac.com
"Breakfast at Ginger’s…and More"
Scott and Barb’s YouTube video series provides a fun and alternative look into the life of the family pet, Ginger, a Golden Retriever. Ginger is truly a member of the family and the human-animal bond is taken to a new level in their whimsical work. Three videos are shown in the Little Critters exhibit: “Breakfast at Ginger’s,” “Ginger’s Late-Night Snack,” and “Wasabi & Ginger.”
Ilyn Wong • www.ilynwong.com •
ilynwong@gmail.com
“Shishka with Machine Gun”
These small paintings attempt to employ the visual language that describes the location in which the tongue-in-cheek can also be utterly sincere in the same breath. The two smaller images intermingles our fascination and disgust towards iconography of the Kitch with the unsettling combination of innocence and violence. These two paintings posit the beloved pets as Subjects, yet the location of the violent intentions uncertainly travel between artist, viewer and subject, while addressing the arguably perverse way in which we anthropomorphize our relationships with our pets.
