By Camas Frank ~
Have you seen this monkey? If so you’re one of millions worldwide. He’s “Internet Famous.” Now there’s a chance for SLO locals to be connected to him in a tangible way, thanks to an art show at the Steynberg Gallery on Monterey St.
A Florida-based artist, Morgan Joseph Hamilton, decided that the little guy was the perfect subject for the “Savages” show at Steynberg, demonstrating some peculiarities of modern man.
As Hamilton explains in a small pamphlet that accompanies the piece, “If you buy this painting I will ‘foster’ Darwin for a year, in your name…”
The little Japanese snow macaque, officially named Darwin, was left in a Canadian branch of the IKEA department store in 2012. Within hours he was “trending” as several bystanders “tweeted” his fur-coat wearing mug to the world. Denizens of the interwebs deemed him the IKEA Monkey, and “Hitman Monkey” as the anthropomorphized critter was photo-shopped into various situations.
A group of students even used the likeness to create a video game in which the little primate flings feces at shoppers in his quest to complete an IKEA desk.
Hamilton said the image instantly mesmerized him and a version of it made got saved into his digital ideas folder to wait its turn as muse.
“I’ve always loved that meme. I laughed as hard as anyone at the time but the idea came right back to me for the Savages show,” he said, “I was researching concepts and I realized it’s about the toll we take on animals and the world around us. Just in passing humans are destructive.”
This piece was created in the style he usually adopts as an artist, translating the digital world, the “vibrancy of a screen” into a more permanent medium.
Local artist Neal Breton arranged the show from artists he knew and gave Hamilton the opportunity to do more than just create a piece for sale.
“I did research on the original image and wanted to know what happened to Darwin,” said Hamilton, “It turns out that the Story Book Farm, the sanctuary that took him in is in some financial trouble and that $200 will go a long way to taking care of him.”
Hamilton’s piece, “Kärl, Waiting For His Ride” comes complete with an ill fitting frame, – because “when was the last time you got furniture from Ikea and all the corners fit?” – as well a sales pamphlet that lets people know a little about Darwin’s situation. The piece sells for $400 but $200 is the cut that the artist would receive after the gallery sale.
“I don’t need the money, and setting the cost point there lets people buy a show piece at a good price, for a good cause,” he said.
The sanctuary where Darwin lives in the Canadian province of Ontario has been his home since 2012 and a court in Toronto rebuffed a 2013 attempt by Darwin’s owner to reclaim him, on the basis that it is illegal to keep monkeys as pets in Toronto.
Interestingly enough, Darwin isn’t their biggest celebrity. For $300 you can get a visit with Pockets, the painting monkey and get a copy of one of his works.
One show at a time though. For both visitors to the Steynberg, and for Hamilton, it’s a chance to be part of a cross-continental story.
“I was really impressed by the community of people working in San Luis Obispo,” he said. “This is a great opportunity for me too to be part of something form across the country and I’m grateful to Neal for remembering me.”
