Untamed Art: Maggie The Porcupine And Tulsa Zoo Animals Create Art For Sale

We've already seen comparisons between the art of young children and the masters of abstract expressionism, but the efforts of some zoo animals in Tulsa, Oklahoma may just take the cake for the best debasement of modern art yet.

The zoo had its inhabitants create the pieces either while undergoing medical treatment or in behavioral training exercises. The results make great holiday gifts for a wide range of budgets. Maggie the Porcupine's lush ruminations on life as an animal at the zoo retail for $100, and polar bear prints -- perhaps spare, sensitive meditations on groundedness -- run up to $5,000.

Also available are prints by lions, snow leopards and Sooky the Elephant.

Some of the animals, it turns out, were even on substances when they created the art. The zoo said that the larger animals were under sedation when they created their masterpieces.

ArtInfo wisely noted that these are hardly the first animal artists, as artwork from a 2008 sale by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums included pieces by frogs, Komodo dragons and giraffes. Another notable animal artist, a chimpanzee named Congo, saw his pieces auctioned for a total of $26,352 as works by Renoir and Warhol went unsold.

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Comments

[peacekitten]

05:31 PM on 01/04/2012

the article calls this a "debasement of modern art."

what a strange, unnecessary and ludicrous thing to say.

why can't this just be appreciated for the pleasure it is, knowing who made it?  are we so insecure as a species that we can't even allow that OTHER species might like to express themselves as well?

[peacekitten]

05:29 PM on 01/04/2012

undefined

[Frank-Landfield]

01:33 PM on 12/21/2011

OK

[iglooink]

01:06 PM on 12/21/2011

This is not art!!!! This is you driving over the freshly painted center line and leaving a tire track.
This is the demise of true art. This makes me want to snap my brushes and torch my canvas.

[peacekitten]

05:25 PM on 01/04/2012

perhaps you should.

how do YOU know what is going on in the minds of these creatures?

[iglooink]

10:24 AM on 01/05/2012

I know whats going on because it is all instinct.
If you get treats and petting for pushing a little paint you are going to push a little paint.
And for your information, it will never happen! Peace Kitten

[LivelyLexie]

09:52 AM on 12/21/2011

Do these animals LIKE having their paws put into paint? lol

[vonrall]

09:11 PM on 12/20/2011

The animals have done a better job then most abstract artists which shows what a "con" modern art really is.

[gkonig2]

10:07 PM on 12/20/2011

Really? You must know a lot about the subject...

[vonrall]

10:18 PM on 12/20/2011

Is it art if an animal can do it just as well? Of course the animal can't get the public to buy it for millions of dollars. And I do know a little about art and art history.

[WeNeedNewChange]

11:28 PM on 12/20/2011

And you look like you might've dabbled..? So, do ya like being accused, 'eh?

[jnsprngslvr]

06:48 PM on 12/20/2011

12.20.11

I love it. The art work is interesting and if one did not know it was done by animals, you
might think of 'Jackson Pollack' or other artists from the 'New York' school of expressionists.
Our animal friends have no idea what they have produced, but it should certainly earn them a
permanent place of endearment in our hearts, and safe place to live out their lives.

[ChristianLagaris]

02:58 AM on 12/21/2011

How do you know that our fellow animals don't know what they made?

[littledebbie6734]

05:15 PM on 12/20/2011

I wonder what PETA thinks of this.

[celticfireusa]

05:05 PM on 12/20/2011

They are all Museum quality art.....