Most of the problems of the world can be solved with one word – monkey. The war in Iraq would have been much less of an issue if Saddam had monkeys of mass destruction. If George Galloway was accused of being given barrels of monkeys, nobody would bat an eyelid.
The monkey rule is especially true in the world of entertainment. Would Celebrity Wrestling still be with us if Kate Lawler was locked in a cage with Buster the chimp trying to rip her arms off? You bet it would! And Hell’s Kitchen would have been a much bigger success if Gary Rhodes (Books) had to try to train a group of monkeys who were more interested in flinging handfuls of shit all over the diners.
So that’s why hecklerspray is overjoyed that chimp art is the latest fad, and chimp artworks are to be auctioned in Bonhams Modern and Contemporary sale in London next month.
The artworks are by a chimp called Congo, who was born in 1954. He produced the paintings between the ages of two and four. The works are estimated to sell for between £600 and £800. They will be sold alongside such non-monkey luminaries as Renoir (Books) and Andy Warhol (Books).
During Congo’s purple period (1956-58), the chimp would take his art very seriously. At first, he’d just throw paint around, but after a while, he learnt to hold a brush properly, and became far more intense about his work.
He never strayed over the boundaries of the canvas, and showed a diva-like temperament. When a painting was finished, he’d throw down his paintbrushes and refuse to continue. Even if people tried to trick him by taking the painting away and bringing it back, he’d still refuse.
Picasso was the proud owner of a Congo original – and now you can be, too. The sale is on June 20 at Bonhams, New Bond Street. London. Congo is lot 29.