Department of Art

 In my work I depict beautiful models draped in the finest of clothing & ivory products that, given the viewer using their imagination, are to be seen and sold to the wealthiest buyer. In actuality, the pieces are made using ceramics, although they are displayed as a variety of antique ivory objects. In fact, these are made to represent a small portion of what makes up the global ivory market that one can access. Objects such as, buttons, jewelry, cigarette holders, piano keys, chopsticks carved tusks, are being bought and sold online even as you read this. In recent years a ban has been placed in the US as well as other countries across the globe, on the selling of elephant ivory products, however revisions have been made to that law. It has been declared that if a product is seen as antique, that it being created before 1947, it can be sold. This has led people to falsify the age of their products and to provide fake documentation to enable their objects to be sold. Furthermore, throughout Europe the ban has been met with extreme backlash. Many Europeans have felt that their businesses will suffer if they’re unable to sell their ivory stock. Looking to the most recent administration, revisions were made in 2018 to allow elephant trophy imports to be brought into the country as well. 

 

Many believe that even if a full ban were to be placed on the production and selling of all ivory products, this would simply lead to increased illegal poaching and black market dealings. Why is this the case? In quoting National Geographic, “Though black market prices vary widely, as of last Fall (2017) dealers in Vietnam quoted [ivory] prices ranging from $33 to $133 a gram, which at the top end is double the price of gold and can exceed the price of cocaine.” Despite the value currently set on ivory, it needs to be understood that such a valued good comes at great cost; the slaughter of thousands of elephants, a fact many simply choose to ignore, as to allow themselves the enjoyment of any ivory products they have purchased. So as you take your time viewing these beautiful models decked out in their ivory, maybe even taking a few moments to imagine yourself wearing them, consider this. Is the slaughter and near extermination of a beautiful species worth the price of your vanity? Understand that despite what we may perceive as our own, we share this planet with millions, if not billions, of other living breathing creatures that deserve to be here as much as we do. Are you willing, like many, to simply ignore or disregard the suffering your actions are having on that which you might not directly see?

 

As I created this exhibition I considered the works of ceramists Edmund de Waal, and the many unknown ivory artists photographed crafting pieces throughout Asia.

​

Artist Bio: 

 

Ryan Pagett was born in the small town of Madison, GA. He is now a graduate of

Columbus State University with a Bachelors of Science in Art Education. He has accepted

a teaching position at Indian Creek Middle school and shall begin teaching in the fall, however he one day hopes to work in the museum field.

 

You can follow his future projects on his Instagram ryanpagettaes,

and see his film work at YouTube channel, Ryan Pagett.

​

Credit of dancing to Ronald Walker in Shaman Dance (Dance of Pain). Film, credit of song goes to Florence + The Machine. Ronald Walker 's Instagram’s are ronw2_ and ronaldwalkerii.