meow
The Ten Cats is a project by India Tuersley, inspired by her family’s ten rescued cats which she grew up with in Wiltshire. The work spans across photography, moving image & collage, exploring the wonderful world of cats and their importance in today’s society.
As a nation, we are obsessed with cats. More than 3.8 million cat videos and photos are uploaded to the internet worldwide every day. Our response to cats is complex, ultimately originating from their intrinsically elusive nature. Unlike dogs, cats make you earn their affection. Their stealthy and aloof behaviour evokes curiosity for these majestic creatures. Perhaps the fundamental reason for our fascination is admiration – cats are everything we aren’t. From their independence and lack of emotional commitment to their agility whilst climbing & jumping – it is all so captivating precisely because we can’t be like them.
In addition to this, they’re animals of elegance and beauty which have consequently influenced culture & fashion since Ancient Egypt. Catwalks, leopard print, and cat-eye sunglasses – the list goes on. Cats are symbolic in a multitude of ways, such as resurrection, as per their 9 lives – and, more significantly in the fashion industry – they signify juxtaposing metaphors from elegance and femininity to wildness and power. Cats are continuing to inspire fashion even 9,500 years after the first discovered cultural depiction of cats.
Model Represented by —
Tess Management, London Margaux The Agency, Los Angeles Kult Models, Sydney Trend, Barcelona & Madrid. Two Management, Scandinavia & Germany
Growing up with 10 cats has meant they have always played an important role in my life, but I never really appreciated their significance. I began working in the fashion industry as a model at 16, quickly learning that fashion takes inspiration from anything and everything. Fashion’s obsession with cats became a fixation of mine and the more I saw it, the more I began to examine the role of cats within our society. Culturally, the British love cats, but their use within mass media is much more complex than a popular pet.
Education ––
2017 - 2020. BA Photography at London College of Communication, University of the Arts London.
Features & Exhibitions ––
Copeland Gallery, London (2019)
Aesthetica Magazine