Originally Serena and I had conceptually wanted to create a series of natural mud paintings documenting interactions with several species. Starting with the pups we hoped to move to the pigs. UNfortunately the pigs did not want to participate (the noise of paper was similar to that of their food, resulting in a bum rush toward the paper followed by disappointment on the pigs behalf) and in doing so created a different type of interaction.
[Write Comment] (05/02/10 08:44:17):
Your failure is important because it shows that it is probably more fruitful to first get to know a specific animal or species and then conceive of creative/aesthetic ideas together with them or at least grounded in your observation and experience of them, rather than pushing our ideas of what art is ... i.e. in this case painting.
Before going to the sanctuary I thought the pigs would love being in the mud, and that rain would be nice for them, it was news to me that they don't like the wet (only to use for cooling if it is how outside)
Did you get pictures of the "failure". Ask around someone must have. Upload them!