The Elephant in the Room (2006)

Sculpture piece made with a living adult elephant named Tai and 12 liters of child-safe paint

 The Elephant in the Room (2006)

Dimensions: 8’ 10” x unknown width

One of Banksy’s most controversial pieces, named The Elephant in the Room, debuted at his first US exhibition - “Barely Legal”. This piece showcased Tai, a 38-year-old elephant, whom was painted to match the color pattern on the wall. Tai (the elephant) was free to walk around the provided space and snack on carrots - one of her favorite foods - and sources have confirmed that she appeared to be stress-free and comfortable. Nevertheless, animal rights activists were less than thrilled about the paint that was placed on her body. Thus they challenged the permit that was granted to Banksy for the exhibition and ultimately won. As a result, Tai’s owners were instructed to immediately remove the paint from her body. Weighing in on the situation, the head of the Los Angeles's Animal Services Department stated, "The paint they had been using, although non-toxic, according to government regulations was unsafe, and even illegal to use the way they had been using it” (Boks, E., 2006). He went on to say; “speaking in general about the use of the elephant, I think it sends a very wrong message that abusing animals is not only OK, it's an art form. We find it no longer acceptable to dye baby chicks at Easter, but it's OK to dye an elephant. Permits will not be issued for such frivolous abuse of animals in the future.” (Boks, E., 2006). With one day left in the show, Tai made her final appearance in the exhibition space, although this time she appeared unpainted. 

The meaning behind this sculpture almost seems self-explanatory. However, this time it appears as though Banksy’s goal was to be a little more transparent than usual. Accordingly, description cards were issued at the door which read: There's an elephant in the room. There's a problem we never talk about. “The statement went on to say there were billions of people living below the poverty line.”  (The Guardian, 2006).  With this piece Banksy upholds his unique delivery of messages through his artwork.  He once again tackled a critical, and often ignored, issue that plagues the world today - forcing his diverse population of fans to question and/or challenge the status quo.