Cooper the cat shows his stuff in photo exhibition

Upon their first exhibitions, some artists can't wait to elaborate on the intent of their work. Others are aloof, projecting an enigmatic presence. Cooper meows. Purrs, too.

For this Seattle cat, photography is his medium, a gift from his "parents" - filmmakers Michael and Deirdre Cross, who gave him a very small and light digital camera that hung from his collar one day a week for a year. It was programmed to take a picture every two minutes.

They wanted the answer to a question many pet lovers have asked themselves: What does he do all day?



He came back with thousands of answers - 16 of which are framed and on display at the Urban Light Studios in the Greenwood Collective. The exhibit opened with a reception last night as part of the Greenwood Art Walk. The show runs until March 10.

"We never thought we'd have an artist that is an American Shorthair cat," said Kevin Law, owner of the gallery and a professional photographer. "But after reading the PhinneyWood blog and seeing his photos, I was immediately blown away. He has classical compositions right out of a photo textbook. There may be no intent behind them, but they're beautiful artwork."

Each framed shot is $275, one of a limited edition of 100 prints. Part of the proceeds from exhibition sales will benefit PAWS, a progressive animal welfare society with doors just down the street from the gallery.

Cooper's blog. You can see Cooper's photos here.