Pigcasso

Give a whole lot of monkeys some typewriters and, the saying goes, they’ll produce the complete works of Shakespeare sooner or later. That’s not quite true — the monkeys are more likely to destroy the typewriters than to actually type on them. So maybe the saying simply needs some adjusting. Like, “give a pig a paintbrush, and you’ll end up with Jackson Pollock.” Or, at least, Jackson Pollock’s somewhat-less-talented cousin.

Meet Pigcasso, the masterpiece-painting pig.

That’s her, pictured above, via Yahoo. And as you can see, she can paint.

In 2006, Pigcasso — then a piglet — was rescued from a slaughterhouse in 2006 and relocated to an animal sanctuary in South Africa. There, the sanctuary’s owner, Joanne Lefson, noticed something odd. Pigcasso, like most pigs, ate virtually everything in sight, but this particular pig left one thing uneaten — Lefson’s painting supplies. Per Modern Farmer, “Pigcasso became so enamored with picking up and playing with those paintbrushes that [ . . . ] Lefson decided to see what would happen if she left out some paint and canvas, too.”

Pigcasso, it turned out, knew what to do with the brushes, paints, and canvas. She got to work, gripping the brush with her mouth and threading strips of color in a manner similar to a human toddler. And the end result was pretty good, particularly for a pig. By and large, Pigcasso’s creations are an eclectic collection of multi-color brushstrokes with little rhyme or reason behind it, sure, but when you consider who the artist is, the works are exceptional.

As a result, her work has earned a good deal of attention from the art-buying world — and some extra money for the farm sanctuary which she calls home. According to Inside Edition, “Pigcasso now regularly sells her work, with an average painting going for $1,600, all of which goes back to the sanctuary to support the operation.” And in February of 2019, watchmaker Swatch announced a special edition timepiece — one featuring the works of Pigcasso on both the watchband and the face, and retailing for $120.

Not bad for a human — and extraordinary for a pig. But if you want one of those watches, sorry — you’ve missed out. As of this writing, they’re sold out.

Bonus fact: If you think Pigcasso’s scribbles are more chaos than art, maybe you’re right. Art can be pretty subjective, after all. No one knows that better than the curator of the Museum of Modern Art back in the early 1960s. In 1961, the museum displayed a collection of works by Henri Mattise, drawing scores of visitors, art dealers, and the like to its exhibit. But there was only one problem. As ArtNet reported, one of Mattise’s paintings was installed upside down, and no one noticed for almost seven weeks. (The painting was ultimately flipped the right way.)

From the Archives: Bacon of the Sea: Pigs can’t fly (unless in planes). They can, however, swim.