# Do you remember when paintings by animals fooled art critics?



## Paul Russell (Feb 26, 2006)

Apologies for my very very hazy memory of this -- I'm hoping that someone can fill in the gaps.

This happened a long time ago -- maybe as long as 20 years ago.

I remember seeing on TV where some paintings by either chimps or elephants (I get the two mixed up) were submitted to art critics as an exciting new (human) artist.

It may even have been paintings by toddlers, but I think it was chimps or elephants.

And the critics all came up with the usual bollocks about it being exciting new work. Egg on faces all round.

Anyone remember this?


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## mauvais (Feb 26, 2006)

http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/weblog/comments/3836/

Also, http://abcnews.go.com/2020/GiveMeABreak/story?id=563146&page=1


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## Paul Russell (Feb 26, 2006)

mauvais mangue said:
			
		

> http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/weblog/comments/3836/



Ta. This isn't the actual example I was thinking of, as the thing I saw happened in England.

But from the link above, I guess this sort of prank has been done quite a few times. The thing I was thinking of wasn't as long ago as 1964, I know that for sure!

I love this, from the above URL:

"Of course, this isn't the first time monkey art has fooled an expert. The classic case occurred in 1964 when newsmen from Sweden's Göteborgs-Tidningen obtained some paintings by Peter, a four-year-old chimp at the Boras zoo. They hung the paintings in a gallery, claiming they were the work of avant-garde artist Pierre Brassau. And soon the works were drawing critical acclaim. One critic wrote: "Brassau paints with powerful strokes, but also with clear determination. His brush strokes twist with furious fastidiousness. Pierre is an artist who performs with the delicacy of a ballet dancer."


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## weegie (Mar 1, 2006)

Oddly the critics comments could very well have been true:

"Brassau paints with powerful strokes, but also with clear determination. His brush strokes twist with furious fastidiousness. Pierre is an artist who performs with the delicacy of a ballet dancer."

Then again it's the sort of a meaningless statement that could be said of just about any artwork.


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## panpete (Mar 3, 2006)

I vaguely remember animals marks on paper being passed off as abstract works and people believing it.

I dont think all abstract work is meaningless or pretentious, but I do worry that there are many who do - this is because it took drugs to clear the brainwashing and conditioning that made me think it was all twaddle.

Sometimes, there are things in life that this crude language of ours just cannot articulate.


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## panpete (Mar 3, 2006)

**


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## Hocus Eye. (Mar 3, 2006)

I think these animals who make such paintings should be accorded their due credit.  Why should only the human species be allowed to create art?  If the critics judge the work to be good and people can be persuaded to buy said work then let it be.

Monkey paintings can help to reveal the "hidden hand of the market"

Hocus


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## Paul Russell (Mar 3, 2006)

Music as well:

elephant orchestra


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## majo (Jul 6, 2012)

Here's the complete article I found: http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/archive/permalink/pierre_brassau_monkey_artist/


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## butchersapron (Jul 6, 2012)

Why thanks!


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## discokermit (Jul 6, 2012)

Hocus Eye. said:


> I think these animals who make such paintings should be accorded their due credit. Why should only the human species be allowed to create art? If the critics judge the work to be good and people can be persuaded to buy said work then let it be.
> 
> Monkey paintings can help to reveal the "hidden hand of the market"
> 
> Hocus


what?

who gives a fuck what a monkey thinks about anything?


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## marty21 (Jul 6, 2012)

In the early 90s I lived with a mate who framed a potato print he had done as a child - he claimed to many visitors that he bought it for £2k and asked them what they thought of it - most didn't realise it was a potato print, best answer, it was a representation of the struggle against Apartheid 

I don't think any art critics visited us though


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## DaveCinzano (Jul 6, 2012)

discokermit said:


> what?
> 
> who gives a fuck what a monkey thinks about anything?



About 150,000 Madchester nostalgists, it would seem.


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