A quirky cat with a larger-than-life personality
Though he's only about 8 months old, Piccolo is no longer the tiny kitten he was when he was brought to ARK and earned his name. He has grown into a cat with a long and sturdy body, but remains a very cute fellow all the same.
Bursting with vitality, Piccolo is a force to be reckoned with. He throws himself into life with enthusiasm and exuberance. Whether he's eating, playing, curling up with his foster folks or racing around the apartment, he's a high-energy cat, to say the least. And at times, he gets so carried away that he might even nip on your fingers and toes.
Piccolo's quirkiness has endeared him to everyone he meets. 'There's something incredibly comical about this cat that I can't put my finger on,' says one ARK veteran. |
Kimiko Ishihara
'There's something incredibly comical about this cat that I can't put my finger on,' says one ARK veteran who has gotten to know thousands of animals over the years. 'Piccolo looks cool, calm and collected, but falls off tables or suddenly races around. He's actually rather awesome, if you ask me.' High praise indeed for this fabulous fellow.
If you are interested in adopting, email ARK at Tokyoark@arkbark.net or call 050-1557-2763 (English or Japanese) Monday to Saturday (bilingual) for more information. Animal Refuge Kansai (with offices in Kansai and Tokyo) is an NPO founded by U.K. native Elizabeth Oliver. It is dedicated to rescuing and rehoming abandoned animals. All animals are vaccinated, neutered and microchipped. Prospective owners are required to undergo a screening process. Web: www.arkbark.net
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The exhibition also includes the work of contemporary Japanese kimono designers including Hiroko Takahashi, Jotaro Saito, Modern Antenna, Tamao Shigemune, Y&SONS, Rumi Rock and Robe Japonica. The kimono as a concept The kimono is more than an historic artifact, one where ideas and methods of production were to remain constant for centuries. It is also an idea that inspires designers working in international fashion houses. The NGV exhibition includes kimono-inspired works of Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto, John Galliano, Comme des Garçon, Alexander McQueen, Givenchy, Zambesi and Rudi Gernreich. Alexander McQueen's Gown, belt and sandals (Dégradé) (2007) is one of the takeaway memories from this exhibition. The humble functional kimono has been totally transfigured. To the silk-satin shell there have been added leather, metal and rubber accessories and synthetic shoulder pads. The purple and pink color scheme and the sweeping sleeves that trail along the ground create a mesmerising and dominant phantom-like character that owns and dominates the space. It is difficult not to be impressed by McQueen's vision, but we have now moved quite a long way from the kimono. The kimono is a wonderful concept – an armature on which to hang many different ideas. The beauty of this exhibition is that it frees the idea of a garment from a static piece of cloth, at best to be displayed on a dummy, to something approaching a concept in design that artists will clasp and from which they will create their own work. There are many rich nuances in the show, for example the superb almost monochrome and somewhat gothic men's undergarment (nagajuban) with graveyard, skulls and crescent moon (c.1930). At the same time, we have women's kimono with geometric design and accessories (c.1930) with its polychrome exuberance with reds, blacks and grays combining geometric motifs with soft organic feather-like forms. Basho's 'blossom-kimono' was a meditation on the passing of time and the hope that a young girl will live to experience wrinkles that come with old age. The kimono in this exhibition celebrates the passing of time and generational change within the life of an immortal idea about function, form and ideas of beauty. Sasha Grishin is Adjunct Professor of Art History, Australian National University. The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. External Link © The Conversation
