Artist Pierre Brasso and other avant-garde artists from the zoo: what is the difference between abstract paintings that people and animals create

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Name of a French avant-garde artist Pierre Brassau, whose painting was exhibited in 1964 at an art exhibition in Gothenburg (Sweden), is associated with a curiosity. Some art historians and critics recognized the works of an unknown master as the best exhibits of the exhibition. After finding out the detailed information about the personality of the artist, a stunningly scandalous fact surfaced.

The idea of the drawing came to the mind of the Swedish journalist Eke Axelson. Together with the artist Yngve Funkegard, they decided to conduct a funny experiment and find out whether art critics and painting experts can tell the difference between the works of real representatives of the avant-garde and primates.

The artist named Pierre Brasso was supposed to be a 4-year-old chimpanzee named Peter from the zoo in the Swedish city of Boros.

The instigators prepared thoroughly for the upcoming exhibition. They persuaded the zoo worker to give Peter the chimpanzee paper, brushes and paints. The "creative" process captivated the primate, and he enthusiastically began to paint on "canvases". And soon four selected works by Peter became the adornment of the gallery in Gothenburg.

The works of the "master" of the avant-garde caused an unprecedented excitement. The eminent art critic and columnist for the Swedish newspaper Rolf Andenberg enthusiastically wrote in his article: "Pierre Brasso writes with powerful strokes, his brush wriggles on the canvas with fierce sophistication … Pierre is an artist performing with the delicacy of a ballet dancer …".

Even one of Peter's "masterpieces" was bought at this exhibition by a Swedish collector for $ 90 (equivalent to $ 500 today). An interesting fact is that after the opening of the frame, the art critic Andenberg continued to argue that Brasso's paintings were the best at the exhibition.

After the revelatory scandal, Pierre Brasso's avant-garde painting was forgotten. A dummy "artist" chimpanzee Peter in 1969 was transferred to the Chester Zoo in the UK, where he lived in oblivion until the end of his days.

Chimpanzee Congo - famous artist

Experiments with the introduction of primates to creativity have been done before. The predecessor of Peter - a chimpanzee named Congo (1954) - is a recognized "genius" who proved himself as an abstract artist. For ten years of creative work, he created about 400 works.

The chimpanzee became famous when the scientist D. Moriss drew attention to the primate gifted with creative abilities, and began to conduct various experiments. Chimpanzee Congo was in demand even as an actor. He was filmed in the series "Animal Time", which was dedicated to the behavior of animals and the development of their creative abilities.

In 1957, D. Morris organized an exhibition at the London Institute of Modern Art, where her exhibits were paintings painted by primates, including the works of the popular Congo chimpanzee. Critics reacted to the exhibition with contempt and skepticism. Still, some of the primate works were bought. One painting of the Congo ended up in the collection of Pablo Picasso, and another one was exchanged for 2 sketches by Joan Miró.

Congo received the title - "Cezanne of the Monkey World". And before his complete triumph, when his three works were sold at auction in 2005 for $ 14,000, the primate artist did not live up to. He died of tuberculosis back in 1964.

The chimpanzee's work was up for auction alongside paintings by renowned artists Andy Warhol and Auguste Renoir.

Talented elephant artists

In the late 90s of the last century, Asian elephants began to be introduced to the art in Thailand. Artists from America have developed an unusual project based on the protection of these animals in the environment. The elephants have successfully mastered the developed training program. These are mainly abstractions, but the works of some especially gifted elephants belong to the realistic direction.

They can draw flowers, trees, their self-portrait quite realistically. Pictures of talented elephants are highly valued among fans of their work - from $ 200 to $ 12,000.

Awesome video about how an elephant draws an elephant:

Turtle Artist Koopa

The mistress of the turtle, the American artist Kira Varzenzhi, once decided to introduce her favorite to art. After applying paint of different colors to the canvas from tubes, Kira launched Kupu on the potential canvas. The land turtle, with its belly and legs, quickly turned the canvas into a painting.

Since then, Kira and Koopa have been making money, which they donate to turtle protection organizations. However, such masterpieces are inexpensive: from one hundred to two hundred dollars.

The dog-artist who conquered the galleries of New York

A dog named Sam, enthusiastically writes out "masterpieces of abstractionism." They are exhibited in art galleries in New York and successfully sold for up to two thousand dollars. Sam has already painted 22 paintings.

"He likes to work in different colors and in several layers, and first he puts in darker tones, and then goes on to light" - this is how his mistress characterizes Sam's writing style.

Dolphins expressionist painters

As you know, dolphins are inherent in high intelligence, they can also have artistic talent. Their work is sometimes rated very highly - up to three thousand dollars, since it is believed that their work has healing properties.

So, considering the works of art at exhibitions of contemporary art in the areas of abstractionism, primitivism and avant-garde, one must not forget that our smaller brothers may be the true authors of masterpieces, who may not even suspect that they have already become world famous. According to biology, no animal species can consciously draw, unlike Homo sapiens.

On the canvases of the American artist Dean Cruiser you can see animals and birds, painted in all colors of the rainbow, but at the same time they look quite natural, without hints of fantasy and fabulousness.