The Cats Of Street Art, From Hanksy's "Ferrell" Felines To Norway's Kitty Riot

Don't say we didn't get you anything for Christmas, Internet.

Grumpy Cat

Poor Grumpy cat (real name: Tardar Sauce, also known as “Tard”). This meme is so good, it does not surprise us at all that individuals have immortalized Tardar Sauce’s grumpy face by tattooing it on their bodies, or that fans have even made a gingerbread house in the shape of her sad, sad kitty frown. So why not also pay tribute to her in the form of street art? Especially in a place where she can really be at her grumpiest: A dog park.

Exit Through the Pet Shop

“Exit Through the Gift Shop,” is famous for its subject, Banksy, turning the camera on its director, Thierry Guetta, a.k.a Mr. Brainwash. Now it can be famous for turning into another documentary about the rebellion of famous feline, Keyboard Cat, who traded in the piano keys for a can of spray paint.

Hello Kitty

Hello Kitty was created in 1974, and has been inspiring artists for years, including street artists. Openhouse Gallery in Soho recently hosted a group show of works inspired by cartoon characters, featuring street artists like DABS, MYLA, and RISK.

Russian Hope Cat

Inspired by “Zarathustra,” the cat who appears photoshopped into masterpieces on the Russian blog Great Artists’ Mews, this piece of street art is just about as close to a masterpiece as they come. Shepard Fairey, the street artist best known for his highly recognizable Barack Obama “Hope” poster, created this image, replacing “hope” with “Котэ,” which means “kitteh” in Russian. It’s clear that both Fairey and the site’s creator feel that this orange kitteh is Russia’s only hope for President.

Banksy Cat

We all know and love Banksy’s mischievous street art characters. This cat is no different, instead of hunting its prey, it lets it fly away in a homemade catapult.

Cat Cult

Do you have a group of friends to whom you always, without fail, send silly videos of cats jumping out and scaring people, or photo slideshows of cats in boxes? Cat Cult is kind of like the L.A.-based feline-loving street art equivalent of that.

Dolk’s Kitty Riot

Norway’s most recognized street artist, Dolk (Norwegian for “dagger”), is best known for his similar style to Banksy — so much so that some speculate they are the same person. Given Banksy’s adoration for rats, however, we think Dolk’s “Hello Kitty” references in the “Kitty Riot” series would scare away any rodents. We love the comment on rebellious and violent culture juxtaposed with the youthful character.

Eelus

In the film adaptation of Truman Capote’s classic American novel, “Breakfast At Tiffany’s,” Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn) has an important monologue that turns on a metaphor about her cat, who has a habit of jumping on people’s shoulders from a shelf high above. A movie still of the “poor cat, poor no name slob” atop Hepburn’s shoulders has become an iconic image from the film, and can be found in dorm rooms all over the world. Street artist Eelus does not find the scene so poetic, however, as we can see in his version of this image, which he calls “Tiffany for Breakfast” and isn’t quite as glamorous.

Hanksy’s Ferrell Cats

Banksy + Tom Hanks = Self-proclaimed “Street Fartist,” Hanksy. This New York City-based satirist is known for his play on recognizable Banksy-esque graffiti and stencils combined with images of Tom Hanks from various iconic films. His Tom Hanks/Banksy mashups quickly spread to include other stars, including Will Ferrell in his series “Ferrell Cats,” in which stray street art kitties are seen donning Will Ferrell’s face. The Ferrell Cats series also sometimes include other Ferrell celebrities like Colin Farrell and rapper Pharrell.

Monsieur Chat

You may have seen the fat yellow cat sporting a cheshire-like grin anywhere from New York City to Paris. This cat street art originated in Orléans, France, by artist Monsieur Chat, also known as M. Chat, or Mr. Chat. While this feline may have started out as street art, it is now associated with a statement on French politics, courtesy of Chris Marker’s documentary “The Case of the Grinning Cat.”

Olek

Olek is known for her crochet and sculpture work. Her street art can be seen all over the world, as she creates a crocheted casing for objects found on the street, like bicycles, cars, shopping carts and, most notably, the Wall Street Bull sculpture. Here we see her crocheting artist Fernando Botero’s sculpture of a characteristically rotund cat in Barcelona.

Andrea Bergart’s Lisa Frank-Inspired Leopard Print Cement Truck

Andrea Bergart, a Ridgewood-based artist who often uses pop culture references from the 1990s in her work, doesn’t usually take to the streets with her brightly colored pieces. But when she spotted a cement truck in her neighborhood, she was inspired to put a Lisa Frank-inspired rainbow leopard print on it, imagining the beauty in its color and movement. It’s often seen driving around the neighborhood spinning its rainbow spots.

The Original Cat Street Art

Behold! Cat street art has been a tradition since ancient times!