Tuesday 21 June 2011

Cats and Whizzers (1988)


In 1988 I created this series of monoprints plotting the warring ways of neighbourhood cats; chiefly their banded resistance against the stencilled horse of rug occupation. My cats had a singular way of addressing their enemy, being in initials only. "I.I.O.W", they would say ("It Is Our Way"). A selection of the hundreds of battling-and-bad-behaviour records are posted here, discovered as they've been some 23 years on. A comeback (naturally) is planned - but this time to be purposed as a Self-Help Thriller!



(there is no surviving note to interpret this rather noble and medallion-esque declaration)

the photo for this one came out back-to-front, which is fitting as that's how the prints were constructed in the first blinking place. The first line of stencilled horse's response is "I KNOW I HAVE A BAD ATTITUDE"

"GET OFF OUR RUG IMMEDIATELY" and "PLEASE GET OF OUR RUG IMMEDIATELY"

again, a backward photo. The three Whizzers read "WMD" ("WHERE'S MY DINNER?" - These were, just, pre-Gulf times)

a simple Cats & Whizzers interaction 
these Cats & Whizzers are besieged by cleaning equipment, electrically supercharged

Cats & Whizzers on holiday

Cats & Whizzers on TOTP