Celebrating the Power of Purr
This month marks the fifth anniversary of The Purr Room, first displayed in Los Angeles (2018), then in London (2019) and Beijing (2022/2023).
A collaboration with the late Blackie the Cat (plus many others including Stacie B. London, Flat Bonnie, and musician Money Mark), the installation featured Blackie’s “triple purr”.
So powerful was Blackie’s purr that it calmed the artist Gary Baseman who felt deeply the chaos and anxiety of the time. Still resonant now, The Purr Room is a reminder of the important practice of pursuing peace.
The Purr Room was designed for a single person or small group to experience for just 90 seconds the difference it makes to close your eyes, and listen and feel the Power of Purr.
This season also marks the first anniversary of Nine Lives, an immersive environment displayed in Beijing at the Wrong Gallery that shared the teachings of Blackie the Cat.
LA Weekly article from 2022 here
Nine Lives included a new version of The Purr Room, plus brush drawings and paintings, and videos of Blackie strolling–a ritual he picked up at the height of the pandemic. At least twice a day the spring of 2020, Blackie walked up and down the block, putting one foot in front of another.
Baseman learned resilience from Blackie the Cat. To this day, the artist walks long distances to take in the LA breeze and feel the ground beneath him.
Inspired by Blackie the Cat
