Leonardo da Vinci had a Florentine woman with a mysterious half-smile. Claude Monet had water lilies floating on a French pond.
We've got cats.
Upcoming gallery show LOLCat: The Exhibishun showcases artwork inspired by humans' seemingly ceaseless fascination with felines.
"One of the things that art does is allow us to reflect upon and interpret our environments and experiences," said LOLCat specialist Kate Miltner, who wrote her master's dissertation on the topic and helped pull together the exhibition. "LOLCats are a big part of both for many of us, particularly in the digital realm."
While domesticated cats have been with us for thousands of years, the friendly furballs have clawed their way online and become a cornerstone of internet culture. From image macros to amateur videos, the internet seemingly can't get enough of cats.
"For many people, especially those who don't spend a ton of time on the internet, 'funny cat pictures' are shorthand for internet culture as a whole," Miltner said. "From my perspective, it makes total sense that a phenomenon with this level of cultural significance would be explored through other art forms."
In LOLCat: The Exhibishun, curated by Jenny Theolin of Soapbox & Sons, artists explore the phenomenon in a variety of media, from photography and comic art to short films and animated GIFs. (See a sample of their work in the gallery above.)
Why do we spend so much time doting on cats, both in real life and online? Artist Martin Parris, whose Morphism 1 — Achoo! is part of the show, cited feline foibles like "mistimed jumps" and "constant sneezing," but also the furry creatures' less antic interactions with humans.
"People love cats for how they stare at you with big black eyes," he said. "People love cats for how they cuddle up for warmth and purr with every stroke on their tiny head."
Award-winning British illustrator Lizzie Mary Cullen, whose Murdoch Cat also will appear in the exhibition, said cats have a near-magical ability to cheer up Homo sapiens.
"In every seriousness, I think that a cat in a hat has the power to cure depression," she said. "There's nothing lovelier than a kitten falling over, and nothing more full of hope than a cat sneezing. Show me [a] baby cat in a jumper playing a keyboard, and I'll show you a world of hope, love and unadulterated joy."
While some wags claim that LOLCats have passed their prime, artist Murray Somerville, whose Butr Kitteh is part of the upcoming show, said our 21st century fascination with funny felines will stand the test of time.
"To me, LOLCats is our generation's Da Vinci," said Somerville. "Kids from the future will be reading up on this stuff!"
LOLCat: The Exhibishun runs Jan. 23 to Feb. 15 at The Framers Gallery, 36 Windmill St., London. The exhibit is sponsored by Artefact Picture Framers, with part of the money raised going to Battersea Dogs & Cats Home.
