Over the course of my research and experiences, many more threads and connections became apparent than I could possibly do justice to within the confines of this thesis. Indeed, any one vignette could be expanded into the basis for another entire exploration. And yet, this thesis is a small disconnected node in the field of primate aesthetics.
For instance, imitation could play a role in picture making behavior. While at the Primate Behavioral Management Conference, I met someone who showed me a few exciting images created by a chimpanzee. Presented with ruled paper and a pencil, this female creates pseudo lettering: situated between the lines, the delicate markings look for all the world like untidy cursive.
And to some extent, monkeys may be replicating figures in the pictorial field. In one session with the iPad, Kayla left her own drawing and navigated to a preloaded example painting within the application, a painting that features a robot and astronaut in a vaulted corridor. In a time lapse video of her interaction with the painting, she alters the color scheme to a saturated bubble gum pink, and incises lines into the painting using the eraser tool. The size of the eraser is then reduced, and over the course of several marks she appears to trace the outline of several features of the astronaut, including the rim of his visor, his arm, and his belt. In addition, in one of Kayla’s pattern trials, she seemingly follows the vertical lines of a grid pattern, and there are none of the diagonal markings that characterize her typical paintings. While it is has often been observed that primates mark within figures, they have not, until now, been observed tracing them.
Full painting showing possible tracing
Detail showing possible tracing.
These cases are small but tantalizing examples demonstrating the breadth of the unanswered questions of this topic. And it may never be possible to fully understand the motivations and intentions of these other beings. In some ways, we are closer to finding life on Mars.