Standards 05-06
$9.00 SHOW STANDARDS MAY 1, 2019 - APRIL 30, 2020 THE CAT FANCIERS’ ASSOCIATION, INC.® PREFACE What is a standard? It is not a cat. A standard is an abstract aesthetic ideal. The realization of a good standard would result in a work of art or, at the very least, an object possessing artistic unity. Artistic unity requires that individual parts be in harmony with one another; that they possess balance and proportion; that together they enhance each other and strengthen the whole. A good work of art has its own inner logic. There is a feeling of inevitability and rightness about each detail. With a standard we aim at some satisfying visual shape that possesses a certain style. Style, too, implies an inner harmony and consisten- cy between the parts. In the realm of aesthetics, the whole is really greater than the sum of its parts, but each part enhances or detracts from the whole. Its realization should possess aesthetic and artistic validity. Nothing grotesque or distorted or ugly is implicit in the standard. Why then do some winning cats look ugly or distorted? Because they violate in some way the basic concept. A cat can have individual “good” features, and yet not fulfill the ideal of the standard. In a poor or amateurish work of art, some parts clash or can not be harmonized with other parts. There can be much brilliance coupled with abysmal weakness. Artistic unity is impaired or absent. If one analyzes any cat that appears “ugly,” one will discover that some feature or combination of features does not blend in well, or abruptly interferes, with the basic overall pattern of lines and planes.
[Show full text]