Dispatches from Birmingham’s Supreme Cat Show

  • Text by Huck
  • Photography by Joe Hart
No vaping please — ‘Like an IKEA for cats’: photographer Joe Hart heads to the most prestigious event on the UK’s feline calendar.

Cats are the greatest animals on this earth. Please: do not fight this fact. With their sumptuous fluff and formidable minds, they reign supreme over all of us; dominating our homes and hearts with an unphased flick of the tail.

East London photographer Joe Hart also loves cats. That’s why he went to Birmingham’s Supreme Cat Show – the most prestigious event on the UK’s feline calendar – for his latest photography project. “I figured it would be a good day out,” he tells Huck. “Plus who doesn’t love flashy photos of fluff?”

Hart had a good time, and was impressed by both the array of cat breeds on display and the variety in their size. “It was pretty amazing to see such a wide range of the same animal in one large warehouse,” he says, in reference to Birmingham’s sprawling National Exhibition Centre. “It was like an IKEA for cats.”

The photographer adds that the project – which is worlds away from his typical portrait work – was an opportunity to get out of London and broaden his thinking.

“There was a real mixture of people there,” he says. “A few that I met had travelled from quite far away – proper cat fans – but then there were also a lot of curious types like myself. Unsurprisingly, there weren’t many sneezing, cat-intolerant allergic folk in the crowd. The real juxtaposition, though, was the vaping convention that was in the arena next door. Two of the most far-removed sub-cultures in the same spot on a gloomy Saturday in Greater Birmingham.”

He adds: “I love using photography as an excuse to get myself into strange situations and speak to people I would never get the chance to… I find so much joy in trying to capture the niche hobbies and passions that most people aren’t aware of; capturing something entertaining in the removed or mundane. Also, I just like cats.”

See more of Joe Hart’s work on his official website, or follow him on Instagram.

Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.


Ad

Latest on Huck

Red shop frontage with "Open Out" branding and appointment-only signage.
Activism

Meet the trans-led hairdressers providing London with gender-affirming trims

Open Out — Since being founded in 2011, the Hoxton salon has become a crucial space the city’s LGBTQ+ community. Hannah Bentley caught up with co-founder Greygory Vass to hear about its growth, breaking down barbering binaries, and the recent Supreme Court ruling.

Written by: Hannah Bentley

Cyclists racing past Palestinian flag, yellow barriers, and spectators.
Sport

Gazan amputees secure Para-Cycling World Championships qualification

Gaza Sunbirds — Alaa al-Dali and Mohamed Asfour earned Palestine’s first-ever top-20 finish at the Para-Cycling World Cup in Belgium over the weekend.

Written by: Isaac Muk

Crowded festival site with tents, stalls and an illuminated red double-decker bus. Groups of people, including children, milling about on the muddy ground.
© Alan Tash Lodge
Music

New documentary revisits the radical history of UK free rave culture

Free Party: A Folk History — Directed by Aaron Trinder, it features first-hand stories from key crews including DiY, Spiral Tribe, Bedlam and Circus Warp, with public streaming available from May 30.

Written by: Isaac Muk

Weathered wooden building with a tall spire, person on horseback in foreground.
Culture

Rahim Fortune’s dreamlike vision of the Black American South

Reflections — In the Texas native’s debut solo show, he weaves familial history and documentary photography to challenge the region’s visual tropes.

Written by: Miss Rosen

A collage depicting a giant flup for mankind, with an image of the Earth surrounded by planets and people in sci-fi costumes.
Culture

Why Katy Perry’s space flight was one giant flop for mankind

Galactic girlbossing — In a widely-panned, 11-minute trip to the edge of the earth’s atmosphere, the ‘Women’s World’ singer joined an all-female space crew in an expensive vanity advert for Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin. Newsletter columnist Emma Garland explains its apocalypse indicating signs.

Written by: Emma Garland

Three orange book covers with the title "Foreign Fruit" against a dark background.
Culture

Katie Goh: “I want people to engage with the politics of oranges”

Foreign Fruit — In her new book, the Edinburgh-based writer traces her personal history through the citrus fruit’s global spread, from a village in China to Californian groves. Angela Hui caught up with her to find out more.

Written by: Katie Goh

Huck is supported by our readers, subscribers and Club Huck members. It is also made possible by sponsorship from:

Signup to our newsletter

Sign up to our newsletter to informed with the cutting edge of sport, music and counterculture, featuring personal takes on the state of media and pop culture from Emma Garland, former Digital Editor of Huck, exclusive interviews, recommendations and more.

Please wait...

Accessibility Settings

Text

Applies the Open Dyslexic font, designed to improve readability for individuals with dyslexia.

Applies a more readable font throughout the website, improving readability.

Underlines links throughout the website, making them easier to distinguish.

Adjusts the font size for improved readability.

Visuals

Reduces animations and disables autoplaying videos across the website, reducing distractions and improving focus.

Reduces the colour saturation throughout the website to create a more soothing visual experience.

Increases the contrast of elements on the website, making text and interface elements easier to distinguish.