Save The Chimps, the world’s largest chimpanzee sanctuary in Florida, and Ozzy Osbourne, co-founder and vocalist of Black Sabbath, auctioned off paintings created by the musician in collaboration with monkeys on Thursday.
The auction is timed to coincide with World Chimpanzee Day on July 14. Osbourne painted five canvases for the project, and the chimpanzees then added their own brushstrokes. The finished expressionist works are now being sold at auction to raise money for the Save the Chimps fund. This is a Florida sanctuary for chimpanzees that have been rescued from animal testing laboratories, poorly managed zoos and wildlife traffickers.
“I paint because it gives me peace of mind, but I don’t sell my paintings,” Osbourne said. “I made an exception for this collaboration because it helps raise money for the foundation.”
His wife Sharon Osbourne added: “Chimpanzees are our closest relatives in the animal kingdom, and I’m really proud that Ozzy is helping to care for them.”
Black Sabbath recently played their final concert in their hometown of Birmingham. The festival, organised by the musicians, lasted ten hours and featured Metallica, Lamb of God, Slayer, Tool, Gojira, Guns N’ Roses, Korn, Steven Tyler and other rockers. Ozzy Osbourne sat through the entire concert on a black throne due to Parkinson’s disease.
