If this is not faked somehow, it’s one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen. You can see more elephant art at the Asian Art & Conservation Project.
UPDATE: Reader John Paradox posted this from Snopes. I guess it is real.
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I can believe that the elephant is using his/her trunk to paint this…but, technique aside, there is no way I believe that there isn’t a trainer/handler indicating to the elephant HOW to paint. It took human art HOW LONG to show simple things like perspective (one leg behind another) in art?? Now, before any other elephant has painted, this one has access to the cognitive assumptions and conclusions of people?
Fishy Meter: 10
Yup, it’s real. Just was up on Snopes
http://tinyurl.com/2f6jc9
J/P=?
Painting what it sees?
Very easy to accept unless you are a “speciest.”
But having mastered objective representation, what would its dreams look like on canvas—could “we” tell what we were looking at? Would other elephants understand?
I guess I’m a speciesist then. Or, perhaps, I’m putting too much weight on the fact that the trainer directs the elephant to paint by holding his (the elephant) mouth and guiding the elephant.
I absolutely think there are supremely valuable “cognitions” and understandings that other animals have that we should honour or note (at least)…but I also don’t think that it is a slight to question a species showing signs of “advancement” that happen to mirror those as valued by humans. If anything, I think that makes me less speciesist…I don’t rate them as below us because they aren’t like us…nor that what we see/do is naturally above them. It just stands to reason that they would behave in their own way, not ours.
I’d love to know if bobbo is a vegetarian.
Yeah but how much can it be worth unsigned?
#4–Rick==I’m an omnivore. About the only thing I really don’t like to eat is overcooked vegetables, especially okra. But I’m all for eating cats, humans, bugs. I don’t do it, but nothing wrong with it.
I agree though, if the trainer is around as in directing the painting by mouth control–not much of a story there. Elephants are intelligent though, don’t know why painting would of necessity be beyond their ability.
Saw the bit last week about the rat being trained to use a rake. Pure operant conditioning I assume–until the rat on its own modifies the rake for some special purpose.
The punchline I’m too tired to pull off here is making the link to human intelligence in the same denigrating way.===something like==gee, look at Congress, they balanced a budget. I guess we’ll see that when an elephant paints Mona Lisa’s sister.
Rick, check the article; humans are involved with coaching the elephants where to do what. Still, that’s really something even with the human assistance given.
Much better than that “monkey art” chimps and gorillas create. Heh. Much better than the “monkey art” created by many humans today, AFATG.
Bobbo and Nobby Nobbs both have to carry certification that they are human, never mind what he eats.
I think I’m more impressed when I hear stories (and, no, I haven’t confirmed them or anything) about the elephants leaving disaster zones ahead of humans. That kind of awareness of things we don’t “sense” makes me pretty sure there is so much more that we DON’T know than we do. I think there was a big piece done on the elephants going to high ground just before the floods came from the tsunami in SE Asia. Again, I don’t have confirmation, I just remember the articles back then.
This stuff seems more like a “trick” (not deception, but stupid-pet-trick kind of trick) to me. I don’t know that I think it is much of an amazement that an elephant has motor control of his/her trunk. The rest is simple training, call and response style.
Come on people, the elephant has been taught a trick, like rolling on a ball. He has no idea this is a representation of his species, or one or another of his elephant companions. This is not art, its not painting. Its merely interesting. Let’s see the body of work, the growth and development etc.
Even though the trainer is “guiding” the elephant, I’m still really impressed. It’s one of the coolest trained animals I’ve ever seen.
Only pissed off people on the internet could say this isn’t great.
Well–its interesting only because it hasn’t been reported on recently==but it is no where near great.
Whether by an elephant, or by Picasso, the only art worth your consideration, is your own.
What about Art Fern?
Elephants are also one of the few animals that can recognize themselves in a mirror.
#13–Hopper–what do you do when you come to a Slausen?
[Of course. You take the Slauson cut-off and cut off your slauson. – ed.]
Seems like there was more than just one elephant making art. There were people walking past the with complete works of art while we watched this one paint, and it didn’t look the same as the one being created.
I’m curious if the same elephant would paint the same picture? We need more videos.
[Check out the Asian Elephant Art & Conservation Project – ed.]
I’ve seen elephants painting both in Pattaya and Chang Mai, Thailand.
It wasn’t quite as representational as the one in this video but one of the elephants did a pretty impressive painting of a bouquet of flowers.
Obviously, Elephants have excellent control of their noses and they are smart animals.
If there is any “trickery” it’s that there is a trainer off-camera directing the elephant. And, you can bet, this is one of the better tries at painting. When I saw the elephants, some were significantly better than the others.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clever_Hans
Truly amazing stuff! Most of the elephant paintings I have seen are equivalent to a kindergarten finger painters but these images show a conscious abstract mind at work. This elephant obviously can make connections between the real and the abstract. I didn’t know that was possible, let alone that they could create new abstract images on their own.
I find it interesting that so many immediately jump to the conclusion that it is a fake. Intelligence wise, Elephants are right up their with whales, dolphins, and apes.
The next time I see a carnival elephant kill their oppressive carnie master and then get shot by the police, I will think of this and feel a tad sorry for the elephant that finally had enough and just wanted to go somewhere quiet and paint.
Anyone know if this particular elephant is a male or female? Perhaps this is like elephant nudie art. Ooo la la! Look at that trunk!
>>> # 13 hhopper said,
Holy smokes I’d forgotten how politically incorrect TV was back then.
Yeah, it is true. I was there in Chengmai, Thailand. They paint, play soccer, throwing darts to pop balloons and etc.
Elephant starts training after 5yo… and retire at 50-55yo.
I happen to own a print from Tara (the elephant) who lives in the Elephant Sanctuary in TN. It is of an Iris. She was not taught to paint the iris. I think she may have been shown how to paint, but I know that she definitely painted the iris from memory. Elephants are smart and have excellent memories. http://www.elephants.com has a lot of info about the Elephant Sanctuary.
My elephant cuts my grass, does my taxes, does great air-brush paint jobs on t-shirts and works for peanuts.