Mopie was selected for the 13th Annual Strathmore Artist Membership Juried Exhibition.Mopie was the 450 pound silver back gorilla at the Smithsonian National zoo. Sadly, he died of heart disease in July 2006 at the age of 34. Mopie was the most challenging and exciting subject that I have sculpted. Dominant male gorillas can be moody to say the least. And Mopie was no exception. To stare at a silver back is considered a threat. But what was interesting was that when children would stare it didn't bother him at all. Sometimes he would even do subtle things to entertain them. He obviously knew the difference and behaved much more seriously around adults. But in order to sketch him I had to stare. So I made every effort to approach him in a way that wouldn't create a threat. I would turn my back towards him, sit on the floor so that I wasn't looking down at him and I would try to take short glances and then look away. But after a couple of weeks it didn't matter. He did not like me and I knew it. He always managed to catch me looking at him and when he did he would become very irritated. Usually when he was upset he would go and sit behind a barrier which would end my sketching for that day. But one time he became so angry at me for looking at him he got up and made a charge at a thick steel door and kicked it with incredible force! He then folded his arms and turned his back to me and didn't move until I was gone. If you observe gorillas for any length of time you will realize how human their emotions are. As far as I'm concerned, gorillas are humans.... minus the insincerity.
[ Mopie limited to twenty castings. ] | ||||||
Last updated: Friday June 01, 2007 
