While abroad, I saw a book written by a German zoologist titled “ Why Cats Draw Pictures”. It discussed different breeds of cats and their special gifts for art, as well as their sense of estheticism and technical ability to draw. It was beautifully illustrated and well-written –meticulous in every way. At that time computer technology was not as advanced as it is today so the drawings illustrated could not have been forged. In short, this zoologist wanted to reveal that cats are natural born artists –my Mimi Chen is proof.
Mimi Chen is a small calico cat from an artist’s family when I carried her home, she was barely larger than a little mouse. Her chest is white and her back has yellow and black stripes making her look like a little tiger with two wide green eyes, twinkling and gleaming as if she understands everything.
Since she was small, she grew up in the palm of my hand inhaling my energy. That is to say our spirits have always been linked together, and therefore Mimi and I are especially close. But now that she has grown up a little, although Mimi loves to be with me, she never lets me hold her for longer than two minutes. Most of the time she stays at least 3-5 meters away from me and likes to hide where only she can see me. However, I can always feel her two green eyes glued to my every movement.
Mimi definitely has her preferences about colors because she loves bright-colored shades of fabric. She has a great sense for material and appreciates natural qualities over the synthetic. As a result, sitting on the sofa next to my desk is invariably her first choice for its peach colored, peony-patterned cotton cloth covering. Naturally her selection is also the most comfortable place to lie down and to keep her eye on me.
In the evenings when I am working on my art, Mimi often lies on that flower patterned sofa. When it seems that she is sleeping, she is actually observing me. Her two eyes squint to slits, for the sake of secretly watching me work, and she lies on her back with her belly in the air turning her head sideways to watch. According to the zoologist, the image in a cat’s eyes is upside-down; only when brilliant Mimi turns her head, the image then becomes right-side up and she sees the same image as I do. Day after day, Mimi watches nearly the entire process of my work, and now I have grown used to the two emerald eyes of my little elfin audience.
But Mimi is not a workaholic like me, she is not stupid. She lives her life. During crisp and clear nights she goes out to play, or goes on dates, or goes hunting for birds, etc.
One night while I was sitting in my room writing, I suddenly heard a strange rustling noise. I turned my head to look at the flower patterned sofa, but Mimi was nowhere to be seen, I realized the sounds were coming from the top of the bookcase. On top of a tall multi-tiered Korean cabinet I had placed a white wood-carved sheep –my favorite piece of European art –that coincidentally was about the same size as a large tomcat. At this moment, Mimi was straddling the back of the sheep and rubbing herself right and left very heatedly. While pleasing herself she kept her emerald eyes fixed on me as if she were saying,” Open the door to let me out and play!” At such a wanton hour, I couldn’t let this one slip! I was amused by her frankness and shamelessness and opened the cat-door to let her out. As it was, there was a large dignified yellow cat just outside the door waiting for her! … During these moments, deep inside I secretly envy cats’ carefree nature.
Once Mimi was satisfied, she would return with an especially affectionate spring in her walk and jump up into my lap to sit for a moment. If I didn’t pay her enough attention, she would secretly sneak into one of my works pretending to be one of the players on the stage. Once she had my attention, she would immediately jump down and walk away.
Every day is a new day. In her characteristic manner, Mimi stares at me with her green eyes as if she is making fun of me or thinking of a prank. Perhaps she even contemplates using her feline way to mock my slow-wit? Anyway, the shadow of this little green-eyed devil has begun to appear more and more in my work and the traces of serious social concerns have begun to fade away. I don’t even know myself where this ghostly influence comes from, but the feeling is gradually more bizarre…
There was a time I was working on an installation when I installed a mirror within a box on the side. I had not fully finished and when I came back later that night to work on it –Oh my God! I was extremely startled! I didn’t even have to turn on the light and what did I see? The moonlight streaming through the window shone directly on a set of small green devilish eyes glistening from the box. Mimi was sitting in the box facing the mirror looking at herself! She contemptuously acted as if there was no big deal upon seeing me enter the room. She didn’t budge and just sat looking in the mirror and looking at me as if she had many many questions on her mind.
From this time on, I discovered that Mimi had a new habit. When I would go to sleep after working until midnight, she would jump onto my work table and carefully inspect everything –most of the time these things were my ready-made objects. Very seriously, she walked lightly towards the box. Careful not to knock down anything, she would use her little paw to push aside one or two objects, and move others elsewhere making a little space for herself. She would then crawl into the box as if she seriously believed that she belonged there. Sometimes she would even stay there until the next morning before gracefully wadding out to the table for a long stretch. Then she would enjoy her breakfast as if she had been working all night long!
As time goes by. I am used to her habits. Out of compassion I wonder: Since she voluntarily likes to share the happiness of creation time with me. I figure, why not?
If I think of her in this way. I wonder what is going through her mind? Perhaps the reason why she comes to my studio every night is merely to wait for that fleeting moment when she is able to see another Mimi reflected in the mirror?
Naturally I will never know, but I am certain there is a benefit from all of this; more and more my work adopts the ghostly aura of those mischievous green eyes.