Snarky Kitty Valentines from Artist Casey Weldon’s Feline Fixation
In his latest body of paintings, Catharsis, Seattle-based artist Casey Weldon uses cats as inspiration to create a satirical analysis on the internet, love and social media.
Casey Weldon’s Snarky Kitty Valentines
The solo show at SPOKE NYC featured acrylic paintings on wood of various sizes, all of which feature cats in surreal circumstances.
Casey Weldon, Gato Gardens, acrylic on wood, 14″ x 18″Casey Weldon, Go Away, acrylic on wood, 48″ x 24″ (SOLD)Casey Weldon, Derp Dealer (after Frank Frazetta), acrylic on wood, 14″ x 18″
In addition to 9 rectangular paintings (five of which have sold), the show included a series originally entitled “Pick-Up Felines”- shaped wood on which 70’s style children’s valentines featuring cats are painted with acrylics. In lieu of the typical “Will you be mine?” expression, the pick-up felines -all of which are sold- are embellished with popular song lyrics or snarky sentiments.
Update: Casey has turned these and a second series of Cat Love Valentines into actual cards and stickers. You can purchase the Valentines, stickers and more from Casey at his online shop and at Spoke Art Gallery.
Artist Casey Weldon stands with his painting Hoodcat at SPOKE. photo by laneebird
“With the rise of social media, shared adoration and adulation have made the cat pic a frequent daily affair. Simultaneously pulling at our heart strings and poking our funny bones, the cat is equally worshiped and laughed at. This is a body of work exploring this duality while allowing me to hopefully get this whole cat painting thing out of my system.” – Casey Weldon
About the Artist (courtesy of SPOKE gallery):
Casey Weldon was born in southern California, where he spent the majority of his life up to his graduation from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. After a brief time running his own studio in Las Vegas, Nevada, He relocated to Brooklyn, New York, where he now lives and works as an illustrator and fine artist.
By using to the iconography of today and yesterday’s popular culture, his work aims to awaken a feelings of nostalgia within the viewer, though often along with a sense humor, melancholy, and longing for times lost.
