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| “Every Piece of Ivory Comes from a Dead Elephant” little planet projection |
Artist Damon Martin’s piece entitled “Every Piece of Ivory Comes from a Dead Elephant” is part of a multi-national campaign funded by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) to spread awareness of the plight of elephants. Completed in 2012, it is located at the intersection of Rose and 3rd Street in DTLA (approximate address is 700 E 3rd St., Los Angeles, CA 90013).
Of his work, the artist stated, “These elephants are still in crisis. Their population is in crisis. Poaching is rampant. I am trying to bring awareness to the fact that the United States is still the number two consumer of ivory in the world. These elephants, for me, will represent a commitment towards community, family, loyalty, and also the lack of awareness of elephants themselves and how they relate to each other.’
“In recent history we have come to learn how they’re actually communicating, which I find shocking; that we went to the moon in the 60′s and we’re just now discovering how elephants are communicating. Up to a couple of miles away, they can communicate through a very low frequency; humans can’t hear it. It’s pretty shocking that we know so little about another species.’
“I know that the poachers are getting about $500 for a pair of tusks. They’re destroying this amazing, incredible, and highly intelligent animal for $500 for just maybe 3% of its overall mass. It’s not only destroying the animal. It’s destroying the community and who we are as a species.”