East Van Cats: a catalogue
(c) 2004-2011
Some of these cat photos appear in my syndicated '52 Weeks of 'East Van Cats' project, which ran on VancouverisAwesome.com from October 2009 to October 2010.
I also created a photography tryptich based on the East Van Cats that appeared in the Just Act Natural show in Kingston, ON in June 2010.
Artist Statement:
East Vancouver (East Van to the locals) is a contested space and site of economic marginalization within British Columbia. In this area of light industry, commerce and residential zoning, are countless felines who wander the streets at will, some feral, some not. Cats rule East Van. These felines have been encountered in shared or public spaces, at random, whilst walking through the various neighbourhoods of East Van. This series of photos troubles the notion that the cat is what we wish the cat to be, even while the gaze of ownership is reinforced by the point of view of the camera lens.
From Curatorial Essay:
"...Documenting the prolific numbers of felines in East Van, Nikki has reminded us that the cat is always with us. The presence of the animal becomes the subject. Nikki documents each individual animal to create a pack of East Van Cats. These animals are captured on film, guilty of a midnight tryst, while others calmly pose for the camera." (c) Lisa Visser, 2010
I continue to photographically capture the East Van Cats whenever I encounter them, and will post them here for your viewing pleasure.
And hey: Keep an eye on yr beasts! There are coyotes in these parts.
