Elegy
48" x 84"
Recycled Antique Ivory on White Lacquered Board
2011
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In working with old ivory, one cannot help but reflect on the history of the material...on colonial times, on ancient elephants, on the way these great beasts died, how, why and for what. We cannot change the past but we can honor the great gift of this beautiful, living material by recycling it as art in the hope that many future generations will see, feel and contemplate its message from the past.

As we sought to find the right form for this collection of ivories, we realized we needed to remove ourselves as much as possible and let the material speak for itself. What we heard was the trumpeting of long dead elephants, hours of patient piano practice and the touch of the fingers of countless pianists, most of whom are probably no longer on this earth. Life, music, history coming down to us through the centuries, right here, right now, in each unique piece of this priceless, poignant material. This is our Elegy to them, to that and ultimately, to all of us.