Exquisite Corpse – LOVECATS
by angeliska on July 1, 2011
For this month’s Exquisite Corpse, I chose the theme LOVECATS
for a variety of reasons. Firstly, it falls on July 7th, which years ago
I randomly decided was my beloved cat Junior‘s birthday. He was
the most amazing cat I’ve ever known, and I still miss him horribly.
I got him as a kitten when I was 5, and he lived to the ripe old age of 21!
So, this night is for Junior, and all the other awesome cats we know and love.
My other reasons? Well… Lovecats is an amazing song, and I just don’t hear
played often enough, so we’re going to fix that! Also, there was a store here
in Austin in the 90’s called Lovecat that definitely shaped my style: lots of gaudy
vintage dresses, bleached out satanic punk shirts, glittery psychedelic flowers and
platform shoes. It was in a cool old house on West 12th – man, I wish it still was!
I found these amazing images over at Mlle. Chromium Dumb Belle’s lovely blog –
thank you to Mlle. Ghoul and Mlle. Avril-Violette for your help in identifying provenance!
“La Belle et le Bête, circa 1940. Tirage argentique d’époque”
(The others are Leonor Fini –
André Pieyre de Mandiargues – Masques de Leonor Fini
Paris, La Parade Éditions André Bonne, 1951
We move like cagey tigers
We couldn’t get closer than this
The way we walk
The way we talk
The way we stalk
The way we kiss
We slip through the streets
While everyone sleeps
Getting bigger and sleeker
And wider and brighter
We bite and scratch and scream all night
Let’s go and
Throw all the songs we know
Into the sea
You and me
All these years and no one heard
I’ll show you in spring
It’s a treacherous thing
We missed you hissed the lovecats…
We’re so wonderfully wonderfully wonderfully
Wonderfully pretty
Oh you know that I’d do anything for you
We should have each other to tea huh?
We should have each other with cream
Then curl up by the fire
And sleep for awhile
It’s the grooviest thing
It’s the perfect dream…
Hand in hand
Is the only way to land
And always the right way round
Not broken in pieces
Like hated little meeces…
I must admit, ever since Lundi Gras, I’ve been itching to do more crazy cat make-up!
It feels so right, somehow! These shots are from the 7 Minutes ‘Til Heaven Party in New Orleans:
(photos by Glitter Guts)
Me an’ my brother form another mother, Rusty Lazer!
It’s probably not surprising that after seeing the musical Cats at a very impressionable age
that I became fascinated with leotards-as-clothing, and that I still sing “Memory” (loudly!) in the shower.
In fact, maybe I shouldn’t admit that I was incredibly titillated at the part where all the cat-dancers come
into the audience and get all purry and fondly. Was that just me? Does that make me… A furry?!
Oh well!
Another big inspiration is Soo Catwoman!
I remember loving her most of all, poring over pictures of The Bromley Contingent in
Greil Marcus’ Lipstick Traces when I was just a wee thing. Free admission to anyone with
genuine Catwoman hair! I always wanted it, but was never brave enough! You do it!
The Cure – The Lovecats (Top Of the Pops, 29th December 1983)
This version by Tricky is killer – can’t wait to dance to it…
Clip from The Mighty Boosh…
Goodnight, moon! See you at Lovecats…
7 comments
That is wonderful theme you chose! And that sassy outfit! Rawr!
Well, I am pretty sure that second pic is Leonor Fini…ah, here is a link! http://akirak.tumblr.com/post/2401391810/amare-habeo-andre-pieyre-de-mandiargues
I think the fourth one is, as well: http://tigerloaf.wordpress.com/2010/10/25/fini-masked/
And here are some more lovely pics of Fini
http://lotus-feet.livejournal.com/340395.html
by mlle ghoul on July 1, 2011 at 7:01 pm. #
I am not certain about the first cat mask image, but the woman in those following it is none other than Leonor Fini!
by April Violet on July 1, 2011 at 7:07 pm. #
Aha! Here we go! That first pic is “La Belle et le Bête, circa 1940. Tirage argentique d’époque”
and it was available here http://www.verdeau.com/v2/ , though the specific page no longer exists, so I suspect the photo was sold.
by mlle ghoul on July 1, 2011 at 7:09 pm. #
You know the heaviside layer? Where the Jellicle cats go when they die? ACTUAL THING.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heaviside_layer
You’re probably cool enough to know that already, but I totes didn’t until yesterday, so I’m sharing.
by Christina Norton on July 1, 2011 at 7:13 pm. #
The post you wrote about Junior all those years ago is what first hooked me to your blog after I moseyed over here from Livejournal. Totally made me cry. Could almost make me cry now just thinking about it! I’m going to be so sad when my beloved Talulah uses up her last life.
by S. on July 1, 2011 at 7:20 pm. #
i also bawled my eyes out to your junior post those years ago. all true and wonderful kitties should be honored! this is such a perfect theme for every reason you mentioned (it’s been ages since i read about the bromley contingent and soo catwoman! hooray!). i hadn’t seen that video of the cure on top of the pops before. i love robert’s lackadaisical lip-syncing, haha!
i cannot wait to see the pictures from this night. what a night it will be! wish i could be there.
by annie on July 2, 2011 at 6:18 pm. #
Oh lordy Angel, I remember watching cats when I was 10 or 11 and being really uncomfortable in a way that I had never been uncomfortable before. I still find that musical a little creepy, even more so than most Andrew Lloyd Weber.
by Sophie on July 8, 2011 at 4:33 am. #