Louis Eisner

In 1913, psychologist Nadie Kohts of Moscow documented the earliest known drawings made by a chimpanzee. Her findings ultimately determined that the chimp's marks failed to form images when compared to those produced by Homo sapiens.

In 1958, following the apex of Abstract Expressionism, Desmond Morris conducted a comprehensive investigation through which he identified a clear aesthetic in the drawings and paintings of several primates.

In 2011, Louis Eisner initiated a project in response to these historic studies. Employing offset reproductions of the original works made by the chimpanzees, he presents their forms as methodically rendered oil paintings.

Howard St will be exhibiting a selection of these works, installed together for the first time.