Water colour paintings by dolphins have sold for £200 each in a new exhibition at a Lithuanian aquarium.
Staff at the aquarium put the paintings on sale after works by a British chimp called Congo raised thousands at an auction held by Bonhams in London last month. The 'artists', mother and daughter are bottle-nosed dolphins who have enjoyed painting for years. They brandish brush in their teeth as the trainer holds the palette and paper in the shallow end of their pool. Trainers say they choose the colours and stop work when they are satisfied with the outcome. Rather conveniently to our mind they particularly like the colours of the Lithunian flag and the work and critics have compared their work to British artist Howard Hodgkin
Brain Sewell, well known British critic (and media rent-a-gob on all matters artistic) said that the paintings were " unconscous, uncontrolled and the silly sort of thing fit only for the Esther Rantzens of this world". He added "There are idiots who are prepared to be gulled into paying quite extraordinary sums of money for these things. All I can say is a fool and his money are easily parted."
The exhibition organiser said "Experts say that dolphins do have natural artistic spirit - they respond to music and it now seems that painting can be added to their artistic qualifications"
FOTW media correspondent phoned the gallery for acomment but got a recorded message saying that "they couldn't take our call right now and that it may be recorded for training porpoises".
As usual FOTW welcomes your comments. What has Brian Sewell got against Esther Rantzen?
2 comments:
Her enormous teeth and the fact she was once a civil servant?
06:30??? Couldn't you sleep??
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