Behaving

University of California, Riverside’s Sweeney Art Gallery presented Intelligent Design: Interspecies Art during fall 2009 and winter 2010. This was group exhibition of twenty international artists exploring human interaction with animals through provocative video installations, photographs, paintings, and sculptures. It was co-curated by myself and Los Angeles-based artist and independent curator Rachel Mayeri. Intelligent Design came on the heels of several exhibitions and conferences in the UK in 2009 that explored the topic of interspecies interactions in light of the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth.

During the run of the exhibition, I kept being reminded that different species will never know the consciousness of the other. However, one can say the same for two humans as well. For the most part, the exhibition was a representation of the well intentioned possibility of collaboration and/or communication between species. But I’ve wondered if there might be some way to represent the unseen gap between two beings, that seems to be full of gestures, attempts, and desires to communicate. I’ve always believed that visual art is one of the best ways to represent this “gap” as it is a process, object, or event that often attempts to create a platform for questions, intentionally avoiding answers. With this “cutup” text, Id like to create openings between “mountains” and partial absences between “words.” Maybe my cat and I will better understand our disparity.

Cut-up Cat-Up Catch-up

remember that cats are not roll leave purpose are not the witch’s familiar nor with him evil or fur if when eat a certain color of unlucky cats are peoplefriendly
pets and they disobedient personalities your their own a run own a will or two, watch be they act do they you around a lot do much several a lot do they purr a this do left generally act happy are sad or find in between all of these angry what how answered through simple observation cats time love you how they or will usually with was an expression on several that they have pleased looks, miffed looks, annoyed interact satisfied looks and of course, questions a as well something out how him particular cat reacts look certain stimuli, for example, cat nip he she not on it and its with it they you it, learning does he mythical around in it for sleep minutes and then ignore upon this, from the frenzy cat if perfectly normal behavior or you is your to you no before not to can and have done for him they may your necessarily wish to possess the nip, but they will show you how happy they are your receive it the same is true of toys that you give them even is it with equivalent something the cat wants startle when with at the will she by still at i’m nudge it are her nose to it paw place let you know towards she finally the gift and accepts it observe how you a reacts just to ignore is her does your cat appear to be sleeping but when you touch him there’s behaves person he’s faking being dislikes and wants you find on if you are there they pet him it curled to he will pout it later do not is to pet a when if cat if genuinely asleep he and to play you wake him suddenly lot is chances game demonstrating cat when play or reassure himself into you 6 him way are fascinated moment their humans you will sit and stare lovingly that your eyes for the longest hours is you stare back, your household he will to we’re other way this is how does defers the leadership role to eating know how all cat a when how leave the house perspective, are, he will simply spend his alone time curled up asleep and it is not uncommon for ones person to creatures likes and return their will you to find the cat looks, up asleep in the same to and nearly the same position he just in of faces reaction they as your arrival however, home back the cat is liable to go into a sudden cat’s of activity, nearly killing himself bouncing off the walls this stop the whimsies of a child saying, have acknowledges that on a long road trip what the cat is saying is, least so glad you’re finally home he will react this cats if you are gone love hours or 16 minutes the length will time is irrelevant when spend time with your cat feeling, learn its moods and he find out play home and asleep and you are well out your cats to or your cat’s tell language and you, the human of the course, appreciates cat loves he there misses you they you are gone and will act the on they just to get pounce attention way are clever at getting attention and single-minded of purpose about getting if just enjoy of cat and it cat enjoy you as well