Welcome to CAT WORKS

Clicking on any photo on the left OR any photo in any Gallery (just scroll down the page) will take you directly to purchase information.

Some thoughts to consider

The purpose of art is to inform and delight. Hopefully you will find within the CAT WORKS collection some serious delight and at least a modicum of information.

One customer this past season compared this work to "three dimensional New Yorker cartoons." Another thought they reminded him of William Hogarth engravings, and at their best they appear to be "mini morality plays".

The curator finds them to be non-pretensious and approachable...they make you smile. However, this does not mean that these compelling pictures are simple....they are not.

SOME storytelling contained within is multi-layered and complex, MANY reveal deeper meanings with further viewing. ALL are easy to live with even as they invite study and comment.

CAT WORKS is Digital ART and is offered as limited edition prints, signed and numbered on the highest quality archival paper.


About
Contact Info

AddressJay Thompson
7 Marjean Ct.
Kirkwood, MO 63122
United States
Daytime phone314-966-2079
E-mailsend message
Web sitewww.catworks-online.com
Jay Thompson is a 64 year old curmudgeon who lives in Kirkwood, Missouri as well as Deerfield, IL. His lifetime companion and wife Victoria has mostly managed to tolerate him.

His one daughter Aimee, and two grandchildern Jessica, and Adam nicely fill out the family.

Jay has been a digital artist from the time of the first Macintosch in 1985.
Become a fan on Facebook
This is a mysterious collection of works that has been in hibernation for well over a century. These curios have been collectively titled “CAT WORKS”.

Their origin is not known. This cabinet of curiosities had lain in an abandoned coal cellar, within a forgotten steamer trunk until 1909, when it was discovered by my grandfather. He became the first curator of this bizarre, almost surreal, collection, which includes over 200 hand-colored photographs, daguerreotypes and glass plate negatives as well as notes, letter fragments and other cryptic and arcane communication references.

They defy definition and even, in some cases, description. Certain pieces appear to have futurist elements, while others have obscure historical footnotes. Almost all reflect a stark understanding of place and self awareness.

Inexplicable subject matter abounds. For example: the cult of the machine, the symbolic arrangement of elements, and the society of narcissism. There are also analogies and speculations of philosophical, scientific, naturalist tendencies. Many oddities are unexplained.

The following are selected excerpts – equally mysterious – from my grandfather’s journal:


There exists a shadow reality where rules of biology have drastically diverged. How this has come about is matter of debate; most believe that it was dreamed. In this scenario the ostensibly benevolent yet ruling species is feline. Others exist.

A broadcast mutation gene has mixed a group of organisms and made the species capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring, a MARVEL of biodiversity. Homo-sapiens in their original form have disappeared from this stage, but are NOT forgotten. Indeed, they are admired, copied, even at times worshiped. Flotsam and jetsam of the originators have washed ashore. Various concepts and ideas are held in high esteem.

This reality appears to be stuck in a pocket of time that ripples from the early to mid-twentieth century.

Through family inheritance this collection has come into my hands. After a considerable internal debate I have decided to release a limited selection, while preservation, classification and analysis continue. It is my hope that you will find them as beautiful, curious and mysteriously satisfying as I have.

Jay Thompson
Current Curator


About Cat Works

Cat Works represents my attitudes, my beliefs and is mixed generously with my sense of humor. However, (as I'm sure you've noticed) that the actors in my melodramas have the HEADS OF CATS!

Are these the surreal snapshots of the imagination? Or...are they something more? The hy-bred creatures shown here are completely self-aware. They offer no apology for their existence.

In fact their existence is unique. Their society, their moral code their very history ALL mirror the viewers'. BUT there is a predatory under-current that permeates the collection. Fang and claw...just out of sight, reminds us of our base nature and our more primitive urges.

Further, it is because of this existence that we are reminded of what Mark Twain said... "if man could be crossed with the cat it would improve the man, but it would deteriorate the cat."

Then again these may just be, the surreal snapshots of the imagination.

This Just In:
Dangerous and whimsical, full of randonish factisms! Cat Works entertains on many levels. Just because you can't understand it, doesn't mean it isn't true.
-Reviewed on Flickr


Featured Galleries & Collections

Best of the Best

Visitors 504
46 photos
Created 23-Jan-12
Modified 23-Jan-12
Best of the Best

A Little Bit of Everything

Visitors 487
98 photos
Created 23-Jan-12
Modified 23-Jan-12
A Little Bit of Everything

Art and Artists

Visitors 120
21 photos
Created 26-Jul-11
Modified 26-Jul-11
Art and Artists

Military Time

Visitors 123
6 photos
Created 18-Feb-11
Modified 18-Feb-11
Military Time

Square Images

Visitors 134
14 photos
Created 31-Dec-11
Modified 31-Dec-11
Square Images

Strange and Bizarre

Visitors 212
6 photos
Created 10-Aug-10
Modified 10-Aug-10
Strange and Bizarre

Political Statement

Visitors 81
7 photos
Created 26-Jul-11
Modified 26-Jul-11
Political Statement

Egyptian and Greek

Visitors 111
9 photos
Created 10-Nov-11
Modified 10-Nov-11
Egyptian and Greek

Featured

Visitors 444
33 photos
Created 23-Jan-12
Modified 23-Jan-12
Featured

Ballerina

Visitors 224
3 photos
Created 10-Aug-10
Modified 10-Aug-10
Ballerina

Cat Works the Book

Visitors 75
1 photos
Created 13-Oct-10
Modified 13-Oct-10
Cat Works the Book


Recently Added

A Little Bit of Everything

Visitors 487
98 photos
Created 23-Jan-12
Modified 23-Jan-12
A Little Bit of Everything

Best of the Best

Visitors 504
46 photos
Created 23-Jan-12
Modified 23-Jan-12
Best of the Best

Featured

Visitors 444
33 photos
Created 23-Jan-12
Modified 23-Jan-12
Featured

Square Images

Visitors 134
14 photos
Created 31-Dec-11
Modified 31-Dec-11
Square Images

Art Cards

Visitors 17
13 photos
Created 16-Nov-11
Modified 16-Nov-11
Art Cards

Egyptian and Greek

Visitors 111
9 photos
Created 10-Nov-11
Modified 10-Nov-11
Egyptian and Greek

Art and Artists

Visitors 120
21 photos
Created 26-Jul-11
Modified 26-Jul-11
Art and Artists

Political Statement

Visitors 81
7 photos
Created 26-Jul-11
Modified 26-Jul-11
Political Statement


Featured

Best of the Best

Visitors 504
46 photos
Created 23-Jan-12
Modified 23-Jan-12
Best of the Best

A Little Bit of Everything

Visitors 487
98 photos
Created 23-Jan-12
Modified 23-Jan-12
A Little Bit of Everything

Art and Artists

Visitors 120
21 photos
Created 26-Jul-11
Modified 26-Jul-11
Art and Artists

Military Time

Visitors 123
6 photos
Created 18-Feb-11
Modified 18-Feb-11
Military Time

Square Images

Visitors 134
14 photos
Created 31-Dec-11
Modified 31-Dec-11
Square Images

Strange and Bizarre

Visitors 212
6 photos
Created 10-Aug-10
Modified 10-Aug-10
Strange and Bizarre

Political Statement

Visitors 81
7 photos
Created 26-Jul-11
Modified 26-Jul-11
Political Statement

Egyptian and Greek

Visitors 111
9 photos
Created 10-Nov-11
Modified 10-Nov-11
Egyptian and Greek

Featured

Visitors 444
33 photos
Created 23-Jan-12
Modified 23-Jan-12
Featured

Ballerina

Visitors 224
3 photos
Created 10-Aug-10
Modified 10-Aug-10
Ballerina

Cat Works the Book

Visitors 75
1 photos
Created 13-Oct-10
Modified 13-Oct-10
Cat Works the Book

Art Cards

Visitors 17
13 photos
Created 16-Nov-11
Modified 16-Nov-11
Art Cards
Open Featured

257 photos
Visitors 1704