meet deborah julian

copyright by and with kindest permission of the artist

Deborah Julian is a photographer with a degree in art history. For years she focused primarily on street photography. And then she adopted George, the first of what currently totals three cats. That would be George up there, starring in a photocollage work called "The Perfect Spot." I will let Deborah tell more of the story herself:

It was love at first sight. I was fascinated by George's intelligence and sense of fun and adventure and was soon taking daily photos of his activities. I have since adopted two more terrific cats, Sammy and Billy. Each cat has a different personality but all three never fail to make me laugh several times a day. I use my photos of my cats to create whimsical images that reflect their lively personalities and spirit. I am still a street photographer but my cats have become my favorite subjects.

As it happens this particular piece is a perfect mesh of her two enthusiasms: the cat tiles are from Amsterdam, and there's George, popped in as living counterpoint. Deborah also uses her cats as a refocus for well known master artworks, and it's beguiling and often laugh-out-loud funny how easily a cat becomes the axis for a new message - here's my favorite (from her Etsy shop), The Center of the Universe. You laughed, admit it. And if you're like Deborah and me, you thought - with all those artists and all those artists' cats, how many throw their unseen presence over great works of art?

Please go check out Deborah Julian's work at her Etsy shop here. I think you'll enjoy yourself.