Loxodonta Africana
Loxodonta Africana is a life-sized representation of an African elephant made from cascading steel plates. It is a somewhat cubist/futurist/improvisational style of construction with 7000 lbs. of steel. It functions as a wayfinding marker for Reid Park Zoo and the new African habitat expansion.
Art Form: Sculpture
Location: Central
Collection(s): City of Tucson
Funding: Friends of the Zoo, Parks and Recreation
Artist(s): Simon Donovan, Ben Olmsted
Simon Donovan, Ben Olmsted, Loxodonta Africana, 2011.
Sheets of steel welded in a patchwork style come together to create a life-sized elephant. Artists Simon Donovan and Ben Olmsted constructed the majority of the elephant in steel, intending for the piece to rust overtime, resembling clay that dusts an elephants body in the wild. The tusks are constructed from chrome, meant to standout from the remainder of the sculpture.
Dimensions: 22'h x 10'w x 17'l
Address: NE corner of 22nd St. at Randolph Way
