Ozzy Osbourne has collaborated with chimpanzees to create five paintings that are being auctioned to support endangered ape species. The Black Sabbath frontman, who performed his final concert Saturday, began each canvas with a tonal background, allowing chimps named Kramer, Sable, Sophie, and Janice to add their own colors.
The artworks have been named after Osbourne’s musical works: “Technical Ecstasy,” “Electric Funeral,” “Blizzard of Ozz,” “Tattooed Dancer,” and “Paranoid.” Each piece, signed by Osbourne, has a starting bid of £1,000 (approximately $1,360) at Omega Auctions, with the sale closing on July 17.
“I paint because it gives me peace of mind, but I don’t sell my paintings,” Osbourne said in a statement. “I’ve made an exception with these collaborations as it raises money for Save the Chimps, a sanctuary for hundreds of apes rescued from labs, roadside zoos, and wildlife traffickers.”
Omega Auctions noted, “Ozzy painted intricate, multicolored basecoats on five canvases, after which ape artists at the sanctuary added brushstrokes…This is a rare opportunity to own an original work of art by Ozzy, and the five works in this collection will be sold to raise vital funds for the work of Save the Chimps.”
Located on 150 acres in Fort Pierce, Florida, the sanctuary “provides refuge and lifetime care to hundreds of chimpanzees,” offering them “top-notch veterinary care, nutritious meals, and a variety of social enrichments – including painting.”
In a media clip last year, Osbourne admitted, “I don’t have any artistic skill. I can’t paint a portrait or anything like that. I just enjoy mixing colors.” Regarding how he names his works, he explained that titles always come last and shared that one of his recent favorites was “Dreams on Toast!”