A man as curious as the cat he photographed has re-published his popular book “Ernie, A Photographer’s Memoir” to the delight of adoring fans.

Cuban-born author and photographer Tony Mendoza, associate professor in the Department of Art at Ohio State, first published the book in the mid-1980s. “Ernie” documents life in a New York City loft with a feisty feline and narrates both the author’s thoughts as well as the cat’s. Mendoza captures precise movements of Ernie using flash photography and perfect timing.

“An amazing thing about photography is that it stops things,” Mendoza said. “You can’t see what you can see with a flash.”

Mendoza earned his bachelor’s degree in engineering from Yale University and then moved on to the Harvard Graduate School of Design, receiving his master’s in architecture. After five years of architectural experience, Mendoza followed his dream.

“I kept going with photography after two failed careers- one in architecture and one in engineering,” Mendoza said.

Mendoza moved to New York City to pursue a career in photography. He shared a loft apartment with another aspiring artist and her cat, Ernie. According to Mendoza, his living situation couldn’t have worked out more perfectly.

“My future roommate was seeking an artist to live with,” Mendoza said. “Turns out that I was just interested in taking pictures of her cat.”

“Ernie, A Photographer’s Memoir” includes 80 pages of photos accompanied by a clever storyline, revealing what the cat may be thinking as well as the curious thought of Mendoza. A book for all ages, “Ernie” would fit perfectly on the coffee table of not only cat and animal lovers, but also those who love the art of photography.

Satisfied with his journey to discover a fulfilling career, Mendoza now takes his work with him, even on vacation. Inscripted on a photo he took of his feet while lying in the ocean, Mendoza summed up his storybook tale.

“This is what I do for work,” Mendoza said. “I take pictures of my family, my cat, myself. I print the pictures and submit them for grants. With the grant money I rent a summer place near a tropical ocean. I lie in the water and photograph my toes. I print the picture and write on it a story about what I do for work.”

Most would agree that’s not a bad way to make a living.

Mendoza’s work has been exhibited and published extensively. The author of five books, his collection includes “Cuba: Going Back” (1999), “Stories” (1987) and the original “Ernie” (1985). He has received three National Endowment for the Arts Photography Fellowships and a Guggenheim Photography Fellowship, as well as two Creative Writing Fellowships from the Ohio Arts Council. Mendoza’s photographs are in the collections of major museums, including the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. For the past 12 years he has taught photography at OSU.

Those interested in learning more about the photography techniques applied in “Ernie, A Photographer’s Memoir” are invited to visit Mendoza’s website at:

www.cgrg.ohio-state.edu/~tmendoza.