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Peter Beard — World-record cow elephant tusk (found in marsabit Kenya) with Magritte Rammé – for “Tusk”
Peter Beard

World-record cow elephant tusk (found in marsabit Kenya) with Magritte Rammé – for “Tusk”

A monumental Polaroid photograph by Peter Beard captures a massive world-record elephant tusk discovered in Marsabit, Kenya, layered with Beard's signature hand-applied ink and paint markings that transform the image into a visceral meditation on loss and the natural world. The work features Magritte Rammé as a human presence set against the immense ivory, creating a haunting juxtaposition of fragile human scale against the remains of a legendary animal. Created as part of his celebrated "Tusk" series, this unique piece exemplifies Beard's deeply personal approach to wildlife documentation, blending photography with raw mark-making to bear witness to the devastation of the African elephant.

Medium
Unique Polaroid print with ink and paint, executed later.

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Photographs

September 25, 2020

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About this work

Peter Beard, World-record cow elephant tusk (found in marsabit Kenya) with Magritte Rammé – for “Tusk”

A monumental Polaroid photograph by Peter Beard captures a massive world-record elephant tusk discovered in Marsabit, Kenya, layered with Beard's signature hand-applied ink and paint markings that transform the image into a visceral meditation on loss and the natural world. The work features Magritte Rammé as a human presence set against the immense ivory, creating a haunting juxtaposition of fragile human scale against the remains of a legendary animal. Created as part of his celebrated "Tusk" series, this unique piece exemplifies Beard's deeply personal approach to wildlife documentation, blending photography with raw mark-making to bear witness to the devastation of the African elephant.

Medium
Unique Polaroid print with ink and paint, executed later.
Seen at
Phillips, New York, London, Hong Kong

Related themes

Renowned Photographer, Assemblage, 20th Century, Animal, Conceptual, Male Artist, American, Mixed Media, Avant-Garde, Documentary Photography, Collage, Wildlife, American Artist, Wildlife Subject, Surrealist Influence, Polaroid Print, Haunting Mood, African Landscape, Earth Tones, Unique Print, Contemporary

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