Friday, December 17, 2010

Drunk Madonna with Anxious Cat

I went to the Rose Bowl flea market in Pasadena with my wife recently.  I saw a million different items for sale, but I bought just one thing: this greeting card.  One dollar.

It sat alone atop a pile of stray cards, calling to me.  It is hard to believe that I could spot this one item, bobbing in the ocean of things for sale at one of the largest flea markets in the United States -- 2,500 vendors, 25,000 visitors.  (Check out this cool Flickr photostream for some images of the event.)

But I spotted it, and immediately I could hear the Virgin Mary, a little tipsy on Christmas eggnog, hugging her cat.  (Her eyes suggest to me she has on a holiday buzz.) 

Whoozh a good kitty?  Whoozh a good kitty?  You're a good kitty!  Give momma a kish.

Meanwhile, the cat is plotting its escape.

I love it.

The back of the card reads: "The hand-carved linoleum-block illustrations of New England folk artist Daniel A. Waters have appeared frequently in Yankee magazine."  The card is from Indian Hill Press and is dated 2002.  Check out the website for the self-illustrated poetry books from Waters.  I like the title for Robert Frost's Answering Machine.

Inside the card are the words "Comfort and Joy."

Perhaps they should be "Southern Comfort and Joy."

4 comments:

  1. Direct link to the poetry tome cited: http://www.indianhillpress.com/robert.html

    His block prints are gorgeous. Scott, did you send him the suggestion for the inside of that card? Well, maybe he wouldn't think it so funny. I did. Nearly sprayed the mouthful of coffee.

    Amazing how there's a connection between an artifact of found-art and someone's life and creative energy. Flea markets, huh?

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  2. Is the cat supposed to be a Christ figure of sorts?

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  3. I think of the cat being in lieu of Jesus. Perhaps it is a pet that Jesus left behind when he grew up and moved out?

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  4. Maybe Mary and Joseph picked up the pet kitty during the flight into Egypt. We all know Egyptians were fond of kitties.

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