TOMMY

“TOMMY”     Tom (1959-2002) was born in Africa, taken from his mother as a baby and, eventually, shipped to America.  He was sold first to a zoo and then to research laboratories that used primates to study diseases and experimental medicines.  He was locked in a cage, used in testing for years,  even infected with the HIV virus (in the hopes he would develop AIDS for further study but he did not), shot with dart guns, put under anesthesia hundreds of times and endured medical procedure after procedure. When Tommy got older, stronger, angrier and more difficult to handle and the current research center could no longer use him, he was scheduled to be put down.  Before that could happen, an ape sanctuary in Toronto, Canada, sued the medical company and took Tom and other chimps from the center into their care.  The chimpanzees moved to a sanctuary that consisted of a huge outside enclosure with trees, grass, a running stream and, of course, something they had never seen, blue sky.  None of the chimps would eat for the first couple of days.  They just walked around looking at and touching all the new things around them and staring at the sky. Tommy took on the role as leader and protector of the chimps but he hated and distrusted all people because they had hurt him and his troop of chimps their entire life.  It took a long time for the sanctuary caretakers to earn his trust and friendship.  As an enrichment and distraction, they started giving Tom art paints. He loved it!  His paintings were often sold and the monies received were used to help pay for the care of the apes at the sanctuary.   Tommy lived his last seven years in this new, wonderous environment. If you look at his face, you can tell he lived a hard life. Although Chimps in the wild often live to age 65, Tom died at 42.

I painted him as I wanted to remember him; an artist.

The painting is 36”x 48”, oil on canvas with a gallery wrap.