Primitive Art

Congo the painting chimp is receiving his long overdue 15 minutes of fame. For the first time ever, Bonhams, a prestigious London auction house will be offering the chimp art beside Andy Warhol and Renoir. And why not, he was a legitimate artist.

Congo quickly learned how to handle a brush and pencils, instead of knocking them over or trying to eat them. He painted within the boundaries of the sheet of paper and never allowed the paint to spill over the edge. He also appeared to know when he had finished a painting: He refused to pick up his brush or pencil over the work.

His paintings are actually pretty good. I've seen worse in the galleries. They say Picasso owned one.