Are animals creative? Do they make art? Do they possess aesthetic sensibilities? This category of posts explores animal aesthetics and creativity.
Art is hard enough to define when it is created by humans, but what about when wild animals make objects that look like art?
Consider Torquigener albomaculosus, more commonly known as the white-spotted pufferfish. Found in the coastal waters of subtropical Japan, this amazing fish has the distinction of being the most accomplished underwater animal artist discovered to date. Continue reading →
Musician and philosopher David Rothenberg has written extensively about the relationship between humanity and nature. He is the author of Why Birds Sing, on making music with birds, which was turned into a feature-length BBC TV documentary. His following book, Thousand Mile Song, is on making music with whales. It was turned into a film for French television.
Here is an excerpt from the documentary, in which David plays clarinet live with humpback whales in Pacific waters. Interspecies music at its best!