Monkey see, monkey paint?
Paintings made by rescued chimpanzees are set to be on display at Miami’s famed Art Basel art festival, with some being put up for grabs for as much as $10,000.
According to Save the Chimps Sanctuary, a sanctuary for animals rescued from laboratories, the pet trade and the entertainment industry, this year’s exhibit will feature 15 pieces made by 16 chimpanzees.
Unlike last year’s chimp exhibit, new this year is that the chimps will be collaborating with art-pop group The B-52s, which will then use the artwork for their upcoming album covers.
“The B-52s are as much visual artists as they are musical artists, and their album covers are so iconic,” said Dan Mathews, director of Save the Chimps Sanctuary.
Mathews added the painting process started in September, when the band first painted the background on canvasses before allowing the monkeys to go to town with acrylics.
In a YouTube video posted by Save the Chimps in late November, Cheetah the chimp was seen intricately painting the artwork.
The resulting works of art have now been put up for sale, with prices ranging from $750 to as much as $10,000.
The chimps’ artwork have proven to be a success in the art fair, so far, with Page Six reporting last year singer P!nk dropped $5,000 to buy one of the paintings.
All proceeds from the artwork sold this year will be donated to Save the Chimps, the band said.
