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The Monkey Paintings
If you’re like me, and don’t have a rich record of your aristocratic, paternalist lineage to display in your foyer in the form of heirloom oils, you can still mock those who do with one of these super-cool “monkey paintings”. I know, chimpanzees aren’t monkeys they’re apes, and I cringe as much as anyone when I hear them belittled by the M-word, but “monkey painting” just rolls off the toungue so nicely.
It all started for me when this painting of a crowned “monkey-princess” popped up in the window of a frame shop near my office building. My friend Ken and I admired it for some time until one day Ken scooped it up!
Determined to get my own monkey painting, I hit ebay, where I found there was a fairly steady stream of this type of painting available. I bought this really nicely done Napoleonesque chimp in red military finery, and framed it up in a rather gaudy gold frame. He now guards our house from the red wall of our entry, letting all visitors know that we’re not your run-of-the-mill family, but one steeped in a history that leads right back to the banana revolution.
You definitely have the better painting.
“A planet where apes evolved from men?”
yowsa! thats awesome! how much did the monkey princess cost??
Donald Roller Wilson is one such “monkey” painter. He lives in a small town in Arkansas and is collectived widely. Weird, fun paintings and even weirder site.
http://www.donaldrollerwilson.com/#
You should see Ken’s replica of the 2nd painting- he replaced the chimp with his cat Simon!
Paul – Love the courtship story, I took my kids to see the “dangerous science” demonstration at the Pacific Science Center just last Suday. Congrats.
Ken – Lets see the Simon Painting!
That second painting is actually a blatant knock-off of Donald Roller WIlson. Wilson’s original paintings can fetch upwards of $30 – $50,000, so it’s no surprise that people have been creating these cheap knock-offs for some time.
Ah, yes. The anthropomorphised apes in human apparel paintings. Theses are both blatant knock-offs of D.R.W.’s work. I got mine because he looks like George Bush. The fact that he’s wearing a crown makes it even better. Just a clueless ape with a crown balanced on its head. Even if it isn’t the intent, the comparison is obvious to me.
I thought it was a female ape (monkey) at first too, but the gallery proprietor assured me that it is in fact a male ape. He revealed that it had been admired by many, but none were brave enough to pony up the 300-something dollars to bring it home. (The frame is worth 95% of the retail price). None, that is, until i came along….
The boobs are especially great, because they always get a rise out of the women who see it. Men don’t seem to care one bit. Women take them quite personally, and have strong reactions to them. I love art that does that people.
The painting of my cat Simon:
Link
Steve…..you continue to amaze me……Ann
Check out this site that makes monkey portraits of people. http://www.monkeymuseum.com It’s brilliant, send them pictures (I had my cat Monty in the painting too) and you pick the background colors. I just love it.
so there are more people out there like me.
which are the artist?
Update: Somebody used Simon Painting for an animation project and gave him Cornholio’s voice. Pretty funny. How did he know my cat sounds like Cornholio?
http://www.chrisroeder.net/shared/cornholio_cat.wmv
I am in need of a catalogue of your paintings of monkeys all dressed up. Do you have one? If so how can I get one?
Need reply as quickly as possible.
Thanks,
Rafael Estrella
116 West 16th. Street
Long Beach, Ca.90813
562 591-7366
I am in need of a catalogue of your paintings of monkeys all dressed up. Do you have one? If so how can I get one?
Need reply as quickly as possible.
Thanks,
Rafael Estrella
116 West 16th. Street
Long Beach, Ca.90813
562 591-7366
MEGA! 8)
I do paintings of monkeys and apes. They are not knok offs of the royals like the ones here. They are all Drunk Monkeys. look me up on my space Drunk Monkey Studio
trying to find website for drunk monkey studio to purchase pictures.
I’m looking for monkey paintings to photograph and reproduce. The little guy in the red military jacket is just the sort of thing we are after. would you be interested in letting us photograph it?
Pete
I have a monkey princess in the jungle by the same artist, but can’t find any information on the artist. I LOVE my monkey painting! Do you know anything about the artist?
well… after some more Googling I have confirmed that I purchased a Chinese reproduction of a DRW painting… and I LOVE it!
I stumbled across your painting as I was looking for information on my own two (yes, TWO) monkey paintings purchased at a local consignment shop last week. One painting is of two sibling monkeys with white headbows and large red earrings. One subject is wearing a red dress with a white collar and the other has the same sort of “below the bust” white bandeau smock and white collar. It is a riot to hear the reactions of those people brave enough to question my taste in art! The other painting is of a mama monkey holding a baby bottle and baby. She has a beautiful head dress of flowers and is wearing a vibrant blue dress. Interestingly, there is a semi-castle/turrets in the background. There is a signature on this piece “M. Barten”. I bought them because of the eyes and their expressions, not to mention the beautiful colors that initially drew me to them.
Cindy