The Elephant in the Room

For his first U.S. exhibition in 2006, Banksy brought along traditional works, large-scale pieces, and a literal elephant to fill a room. Ironically, show’s title was “Barely Legal” but U.S. officials deemed The Elephant in the Room, his painting of an elephant named Tai, done up in pink and gold paint to match the wallpaper of a room set-up, actually broke the law. Although Banksy had the proper permits to include Tai in the exhibition, painting the live pachyderm from trunk to toe was illegal.

Although controversial, Banksy’s decision to paint the elephant to blend into the background is meant to represent the big issues in life, such as poverty, that some people choose to ignore, similarly to his stencil piece Sweep it Under the Carpet.