Animals in the creative process: embracing interspecies collaboration and learning from others within creativity

All animals can be creative. However, examples of non-human and ‘living’ and present animals in art tend to ignore this potential in favour of their use as breathing visual material. Performance art, and the use of non-humans within the gallery, demonstrate this preference. In recent years, though, some artists have sensitized and sensitive means to understand differing perspectives of what it is to be a creative animal. Bartram (UK) and Deigaard (USA) are two artists who collaborate from, and with animal. Using diverse methods, and curious to a myriad of opening potentialities, they explore working as humans from an animal-centric perspective. They bring sensitivities to their handling of the animal as both artistic subject and collaborator, in order to observe and engage with empathy and openness to the unexpected, to animal insight and revelation.
This paper explores the socialized and familiar in close observation in their individual yet companion practices. It reflects on the allowing and embracing of other species within their artworks, and of being mindful and sensible as the humans within an often unbalanced system of agency, and to offer an ethical and practical way forward.