meet anna scarr 😻
yes, it’s confusing to not just use my normal human name, but i don’t know what to do at this point because it’s a whole thing now and on my business cards. yes, i do worry that people may think i introduce myself as “Year of the Cat, and these are my friends Madonna, Seal, and Voldemort." like my cohorts, i am important, so please take a seat and listen to me talk about the origins of my own name…
no but really, buckle up, and get ready for a wild ride...
tell me about your art and process!
i don’t think or plan before i draw or paint. i’m empty, yet these interconnected concepts consistently shine through - frivolity, familiarity, and femininity. these are truths i can’t repress. my health and happiness also depend on visual perceptual breaks - i’ve only found this type of relief while making art.
i’m equally fascinated by efficiency, architecture, and engineering. i portray these concepts as whimsical, soft, and organic. if history is a series of reiterated arcs, everything i’ve ever created is nostalgic and a little nihilistic. pretentious hypothesises aside, my cats and pretty things make me happy.
what is the biggest challenge of being an artist? how do you deal with that?
financial/ career insecurity. crying.
where did your style come from? how did you cultivate that?
i draw and paint automatically. thus, my artistic style is dictated by consistent data patterns in my long term visual memory.
what do you love about pursuing art?
pursuing a career without a playbook has forced me to improvise, pivot and take risks. i love when i feel proud of myself.
where does year of the cat come from?
it’s a two-part answer..
year of: year of the cat references the time i spent with my cats during covid lockdowns. during this time, i realized the life i was living had not been designed intentionally. i began rebuilding a life i actually wanted. i sold antiques and oil paintings in my etsy shop year of the cat gallery and practiced drawing and painting. in august 2022, my dad gave me an ipad, and i started using procreate daily. i shared my art with the world via etsy and instagram in january 2023. i was also invited via instagram to make a primitives account. i feel grateful that it is now safe for me to have an internet presence.
"Black Cat Chinoiserie," "Cat Walk," and Ode to "Tretchikoff" by yearofthecat
the cat: cats have thrived to the point that they’re listed as invasive species on every continent except the really cold one. they have never been fully domesticated as they haven’t been bred nor had to naturally evolve to appease humans in order to survive. cats are efficient predators because of many traits that are stereotypical behaviors of autistic individuals. most of my social anxiety stems from being embarrassed of having a different sensory tolerance level than other people. however, the global prosperity of felis catus argues that being a scaredy cat is more advantageous than detrimental.
lastly, 2023 was the first year of the cat (ever) on the vietnamese lunar calendar. this was announced after i selected the name. speaking of synchronicity/moon stuff, witches and crazy cat ladies are female tropes who reject patriarchal expectations. their familiars, the servants responsible for their acts of rebellion or disobedience, are cats. they symbolize the domestic sphere and autonomous independence simultaneously. plus, they’re just my favorite little guys.