Michael Binder: An artist with a heart for cats and people!

Michael Binder: An artist with a heart for cats and people!

A remarkable work of art is causing a sensation in the Städtische Galerie: Michael Binder's picture “The Lares and Penates”. The work, created in 1996, is an impressive one square meter in size and shows an expressive figure surrounded by two white and gray cats. This idea of ​​cats as protective spirits reflects Bindern's personal encounter and fondness for the animals he cared for on his farm in southern Italy. There he founded a cat asylum, where his daughter Nina Binder talks about her father's love and care for the cats.

Michael Binder, who was born in Berlin in 1937, grew up in an artistic environment. His father was a painter, architect and archaeologist, his mother an art historian. After studying painting, German and English in Freiburg and Karlsruhe, Binder initially worked as a teacher before taking the plunge into self-employment as an artist. He lived and created in various cities before moving to southern Italy in 2002, where he died in 2018. Over the course of his career, he created around 200 works, including oil paintings, watercolors, drawings and etchings, which deal with many essential questions of life and show people in harmony with nature.

Art with heart and soul

With his reduced painting style and a color palette reminiscent of the Italian artist Giorgio Morandi, Binder creates a profound connection between humans and animals in his art. The title of his work, “The Lares and Penates,” is a homage to the Roman guardian spirits who protect space and the family. Nina Binder has suggested that her father saw the cats as his own guardian spirits - an interpretation that gives the picture a very special emotional dimension.

The theme of animals in art is not new. In the past, numerous artists, especially expressionists, used animals as symbols in their work. It is interesting to note that, for example, Franz Marc, co-founder of the artist group “Der Blaue Reiter”, often depicted animals in his works to emphasize their spiritual value. Similarly, Max Beckmann, also an important expressionist painter, developed an artistic language that showed animals and people in a new light. The influence of this movement can still be felt in contemporary art today.

From Riga to the world

To further understand the influence of cats in art, it is worth looking beyond the borders of Cologne. For example, in Riga, Latvia, there is the famous “Cat House”, an architectural masterpiece built in 1909. This building is known for its two cat sculptures on the roof, which point towards the Great Guild with their tails raised, reflecting a historical dispute between the builder and the guild. Legend has it that the architect held a grudge against the guild, which led to this artistic rebellion. Over the years, these cats have not only attracted tourists but also highlighted the importance of animals in architecture and art.

The connection between art and animals remains a fascinating topic that inspires artists from a wide range of backgrounds. Michael Binder is another example of the complex relationships between humans and animals viewed through the lens of art. His works and life stories invite us to think about the role of animals in our lives and how strongly they can shape our emotional world.