Study: Can Animals Be Artists?

Some birds, like satin bowerbirds, create intricate, beautiful structures to attract a mate. But are these pieces truly works of art? Philosopher Denis Dutton points out that attracting a mate can be a motivating factor for humans to create art, too…just think of your favorite sexy musician. However, we tend to think that humans are also expressing something else when they craft a masterpiece. Whether or not animals are truly motivated to make art, or if they’re just looking for a partner, has yet to be determined. “A key question is whether there’s any animal art that doesn’t have to do with mating, and instead expresses something more complex or sentimental,” Shawn Simpson of the University of Pittsburgh said. (Study Finds)