Attention all cat lovers andNicolas Cagefans! Cage and his love for his cat have inspired an art exhibit. The exhibit, calledUncaged: The Unbearable Weight of Genius Cat Art, will debut at CatCon from October 1-2, 2022 at the Pasadena Convention Center. The annual convention brings together cat culture and pop culture and has a community of cat lovers that spans the globe.
“Nicolas Cage is an artist’s dream subject — he’s cult, he’s camp, and he DGAF,” said CatCon founderSusan Michalsin a statement. “Cats have many of the same characteristics, so why not combine the two and celebrate it on canvas?”
The decision to include Nicolas Cage and his cat Merlin in CatCon came about because Susan Michals noticed Cage’s references to his cats during interviews. In oneparticularly notable Q&Ashared by Lionsgate while promoting the filmThe Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Cage said “Well, My best friend is a cat. And his name is Merlin. He’s an unusual cat. He’s very affectionate. He loves contact. Sometimes he’ll jump into bed and he’ll hug me, you know? I’ll actually think it’s my wife. Nope, it’s Merlin. And it’s just an amazing, kind of loving, affectionate energy that’s coming off of that cat. He’s a real, a real sweetheart. So that’s my best friend.”
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This inspired Michals, who told Yahoo Entertainment that she wanted “to honor Nicolas Cage, honor his love of cats, honor the fact that… he does things the way he wants to, much like cats.”
Seven artists have created original works of art dedicated toNicolas Cageand Merlin. One artist, namedBrian Hoffman, created an 11-inch by 14-inch print, which is embellished with diamond dust, embossed, and framed in a vintage frame. EntitledCatstor Troy, the piece is a tribute to Cage’s wild-eyed villain Castor Troy in the 1997 filmFace/Off.It depicts the actor wearing a blue bow, his head on a retro cartoon girl’s body while being surrounded by three cartoonish cats, which is accompanied by a cartoonish type-style caption that reads “C is for Catstor Troy.”
Vanessa Stockardcreated an oil-on-board piece entitledWild at Art, which depicts Cage being embraced by a life-size version of Merlin, who has glowing yellow eyes and a matching yellow wig.
These are just a few examples of the many playful, and heartwarming works of tributary art that will be on display at CatCon. All the works dedicated to Cage and Merlin are whimsical and lighthearted, if not admittedly a bit quirky as well. Cage obviously has an extraordinary relationship with his cat, and the artwork definitely does that relationship justice. The art inUncagedwill be available for sale both in person at Cat Con and online viacatartshow.com. Ten percent of the proceeds will go to cat-related charities, such as Ashley’s Kitten Academy, Milo’s Sanctuary, and RedRover.
Cat Art Show was founded by Susan Michals in 2014 and remains one of the world’s most popular art exhibits dedicated to everything relating to thefeline form. Some of the featured artists this year includeGary Baseman,FAILE,Mark Ryden,Haroshi,Shepard Fairey,Norman Reedus, and others.
CatCon will take place on October 1 and October 2 in Pasadena, California. You can view more information about the event and purchase tickets online on theevent website. Check out a few of the pieces from the show down below.
