Be Excellent To Each Other

I don't know how long This video has been around the internet, but I wouldn't have thought it possible that an animal cold be trained to paint in such a way.

I am quite taken aback by it.

Does anyone else find that video just amazing?

For those who can't be bothered watching the whole video, this is the resulting picture:

Also, do you think that the elephants have an appreciation of what they are doing, or is it just the result of being drilled to paint those images? Do you think the elephants know what they are painting? Do you think that the elephant can recognise and appreciate its own picture of an elephant?

No. Yes. No. No.

Seeing that these are in Thailand makes me think that these elephants have been coereced into doing this. Maybe that's wrong of me.

Malc

It's Tony Hart and Mr Bennett in a suit.

Oh, well I quite believe they have been taught to paint these pictures in the way of 'line, this shape, here. Line, this shape, here' but I do not know if it is simply teaching the elephant to 'paint' just as it would be teaching it any other delicate motor function, or is more akin to me teaching my brother how to draw a dinosaur:

'So, if we start of with this shape here, the nostril is about one third of the way along it's head...' etc

My brother can still appreciate that he is drawing a dinosaur and now has the knowledge of how to draw a dinosaur, but recognises those lines and shapes in the creation of a picture as a whole for what it is.

The romantic in me wants this to be true to some degree with these elephant chums.

Would returning to gaze at one's creation be considered as evidence of artistic appreciation? That, at least, would suggest that he realised the results of drilled actions were neither ephemeral nor purely functional.

I just can't imagine an Elephant would see itself (if it even has a "self") as a line drawing. A big grey blob maybe, a line drawing less so.

Malc

I'd teach it to paint 'I'm a dickhead Elephant'. We'd soon see if it knew what it was painting then.

Duh! Elephants don't talk English Tmuk! Duh! It'd have to be "parp hhhrooom! parp parp!" or something.

"Parp hhhrooom! parp hrooom parp!' I think you'll find.

I would get it to paint with a monkey's head and see if it knows the difference. Or paint an African elephant.