Painting Pachyderms
THE ELEPHANT ARTISTS OF THAILAND
“Is that a Sri-siam, or perhaps a Wanalee? The style is reminiscent of the early elephant masters....” While you most likely won’t hear this any time soon, it’s conceivable. Elephant artists have been creating original art since 1998, unbeknownst to many people. Although requiring some human guidance at first, the elephants with aptitude soon start painting of their own accord—and some go on to produce works that sell at auction for more than $2,000.
My Egyptian Moment by Wanalee. Acrylic on cotton and cellulose paper. Courtesy of The Elephant Art Gallery and the owner of the painting, Ms. Alice S. Marx.
The National Elephant Institute in Thailand has a cadre of 16 painting elephants, each with his or her own distinctive style that continues to mature over time. Grasping paintbrushes with their agile trunks, these elephants create paintings that are often colorful, energetic, and (surprisingly) compositionally balanced. Just like their human counterparts, elephant artists have good days as well as bad days when they literally walk away from the canvas, refusing to paint.
There is even a market for “fake” elephant art, which—with the help of humans—resembles everyday objects. Aum-Mon Weesatchanam, a former Director of The Elephant Art Gallery, believes that “elephant art is an original painting that is created by an elephant, unaided by human hand,” and feels that works created with human help are no substitute for the real thing. Look through the hundreds of images out there, and you’ll find it hard to disagree. What elephants do on their own is far more interesting than what they do with human intervention.
Although these pachyderms have their share of critics, you can’t help but wonder if a human artist will one day be crediting an elephant as an influence. —GRG
An elephant artist at work. Courtesy of The Elephant Art Gallery.