Cat X-rays inspire art
Art can be inspired by almost anything, as is demonstrated by the Whitireia visual arts students’ end-of-year exhibition The VAT.
Porirua student Laureen Jones’ sick cat inspired her works, titled Cat Vanitas.
Her works include screen prints of her cat’s x-rays transformed into flowers. ‘‘It’s full of symbolism,’’ she said. ‘‘The skull represents the fragility of life, flowers represent the fragility of life and also time running out, and precious metals mean you can’t take your wealth with you when you go.’’
Jones found her cat, Neptune, as a stray with an abnormal tissue growth called a polyp in his ear.
‘‘It took eight months of non-stop medication and ear syringing and love and vet bills to get him healthy,’’ she said.
‘‘In the meantime I had a whole lot of x-rays of him and thought I could use them in my work.’’
Her display will also include a real cat’s skeleton, found in a neighbour’s garden and pieced together bone by bone.
At least 20 first and second-year visual arts students will present their works in the exhibition, which opens on November 12 at Thistle Hall Community Gallery.
Curated by Mary Jane Duffy, The VAT will display works in a range of mediums, including jewel- lery, textiles, printmaking, painting and sculpture.