Werner Härtl, a German artist, has distinguished himself in a very special way: he is the only known artist who utilizes dilute cow poo to produce sepia-toned paintings.
The artist’s own blood was once used as paint and dead cockroaches served as the canvases for little paintings but few things are as bizarre as Werner Härtl’s medium of choice.
In 2012, the German artist began experimenting with cow poo while working as a farmhand. He placed some excrement in a canister and diluted it with water to create various sepia tones.
He now prefers to obtain the “paint” directly from the cow’s rectum when it poops, placing the canister there. He asserts that he can get enough raw material for at least six months from just two bovine faeces.
Werner Härtl, a native of a village in Germany, draws his primary inspiration for his artwork from the state’s rural and agricultural history. His paintings often include cows, but they also show tractors and other farm equipment, lush fields, hamlet homes, and even self-portraits. Cows are one of his favourite themes.
It’s interesting to note that Werner Härtl believes his monochromatic works don’t smell at all. Well, after a while at least, since while the paint is new, it’s a different story.
