Have you ever wondered about what goes on in your pet’s head? What do they think about apart from eating, playing, and sleeping? The cognitive abilities of animals have long been a point of scientific interest. But what about animal creativity? There were, and still are, many animals that became famous for allegedly creating works of art. Here are three examples of animals that paint better than humans.
Lolo (donkey)
One of the first famous examples of artwork created by an animal comes from the 20th century. The French critic and writer Roland Dorgelès created a character, Joachim-Raphaël Boronali, who “painted” by tying a brush to a donkey’s tail. The animal, whose name was Lolo, wagged its tail when a piece of fruit or vegetable was held up in front of it. Lolo’s first painting, “Et le soleil s’endormit sur l’Adriatique” (Sunset Over the Adriatic), is considered to be a staple of the “excessivist” art movement, which actually never existed.
Congo (chimpanzee)
Congo’s paintings were an absolute hit when they were first released into the public eye. One of the paintings was even gifted to Pablo Picasso who displayed it on the wall. Congo’s talent was first noticed by the zoologist, author, and surrealist painter Desmond Morris, who offered the animal a pencil and a piece of paper. In about two years, the chimpanzee produced over 400 artworks in the style of “lyrical abstract expressionism.”
Pigcasso (pig)
Pigcasso is one of the latest and most famous examples of animals that paint. It was born in South Africa and rescued from a slaughterhouse by Joanne Lefson. The woman used positive reinforcement techniques to train Pigcasso to paint colorful abstract paintings using brushes dipped in paint. Eventually, the pig became the first animal artist to hold its own exhibition.
Animals that paint: art or abuse?
The very issue of training animals to produce art is highly problematic. For instance, baby elephants in Thailand are taken away from their mothers and conditioned to replicate movements through torture and punishment. They are then shown as a spectacle to tourists who pay money to see painting elephants. While we specifically chose animals that were not harmed when being “taught” how to create art, the ethics of forcing animals to do things that are unnatural to them will always be a complicated problem.
