After a new relationship with pets was forged during COVID lockdown and the phenomenon of Bluey, we now have the definitive cats and dogs show presented by the National Gallery of Victoria.
Can there be an intelligent show about canines and felines that goes beyond a collection of feelgood images of our favourite pets? This exhibition sets out to achieve this and, at least in part, succeeds.
A central question concerning pets and people is how we position ourselves in relationship to animals. If we adopt a Judeo-Christian position – that of Adam naming and having power over all of the animals on earth – then there is the power relationship of ownership.
Alternatively, as understood by many First Nations peoples, many Asian civilisations and popularised by such writers as Joseph Campbell, there are common animal powers that mystically unite humankind with nature.
The dogs and cats that share our lives are also our distant (perhaps not that distant) ancestors. They understand us so intimately because they are part of us and we are part of them.
Most pet owners already know this. We did not need Rupert Sheldrake to tell us that dogs know when their owners are coming home, but, by him telling us, this confirms in our minds we are not simply crazy.
Nomenclature also matters – “owners”. As pointed out in the excellent book that........