Arguably, this particular oxymoron nicely describes Phacochoerus africanus – the common warthog.
Ugly Beauty is also the title of an unequivocally beautiful composition by one of jazz’s greatest composers.
This post’s kneeling hero was neither injured, nor pious, and although the fire in this image was part of a lovely dinner experience, warthog was not on the menu.
Not everyone “gets” warthogs, just as not everyone appreciates the extraordinary beauty of arid/desert landscapes.
Yours truly loves them both.
Namibia’s warthogs belong to the common warthog’s southern African subspecies.
Trust me: if you currently regard warthogs as “ugly”, “dirty”, and “unworthy” of your esteem, that is only because you have not yet paid them close enough attention.
Warthogs are a hoot – “up there” with elephants, otters, orangutans and kangaroos as highly-sociable, endlessly-interesting animals; a future, multi-image celebration of warthogs will attempt to convert any “unbelievers” and “agnostics”.
Shuffling along on front knees whilst grazing is one of warthogs’ signature behaviours.
(photo is copyright Doug Spencer, taken at 6.31 pm on 07 November 2022 in the wonderful Mushara Outpost, which is beautifully located beside and above a mostly-dry riverbed, in bushland just outside the eastern entry to Etosha National Park)
Musical bonus
Too many people don’t bother to look properly at warthogs and other “unglamorous” creatures.
Likewise, at first earshot, too many people failed to listen properly to Thelonious Monk (1917-1982); some dismissed him as a “fraud”, and/or maintained that he could not play the piano “properly”.
Now, Monk is regarded as one of jazz’s supreme geniuses – as a composer, and as an equally singular pianist.
Ellington’s aside (?), Monk’s is by far jazz’s most-covered songbook; Monk’s ‘Round Midnight is the most-covered jazz “standard”.
Ugly Beauty is the only waltz Monk ever wrote.
This version’s pianist was – excepting Monk himself, presumably – the only person to record his own take on everything in Monk’s songbook.
Click here to learn more about Frank Kimbrough (1956-2020) and to hear a sublime version of one of his own compositions.
Chances are excellent (a) that you have never heard of Frank Kimbrough and (b) that he could be the finest jazz pianist of whom you had never heard.