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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF MARTIN LAWRENCE GALLERIES ART FULL African Elephant, 1983 Andy Warhol's the elephant in the room MARTIN LAWRENCE GALLERIES' PRIZED WARHOL PACHYDERM IS STILL RAISING AWARENESS DECADES DOWN THE LINE. BY LAUREN CUMMINS A such as soup cans and bananas, and to celebrities like Marilyn Monroe, to whom he paid homage with a diptych in the weeks following her death. More than 20 years later, while enjoying commercial and financial success during what turned out to be the last years of his life, a less-flashy Warhol turned his talents to more philanthropic issues, includ- ing animal extinction and poaching. ndy Warhol owes his fame to his colorful prints of everyday objects Warhol suites, including his Electric Chair suite, will be up for bid at the gallery's auction on September 29, as will works by others masters such as Calder, Chagall, and Erté. In his 1983 "Endangered Species" series of silkscreens, the Pop Art icon brought to life 10 animals on the verge of extinction, including the enor- mous, is one-of-a-kind, but other The 38" x 38" piece captures the tension that lies between fantasy and realism through the use of radiant colors on a realistic outline. The mood is thoughtful, simultaneously evoking both the beauty of these striking creatures and the poignancy of their population's decline. "It makes peo- ple socially conscious," says UNLV alum Stacie Goulet, director of the 26,000-square-foot gallery. "He's trying to put in people's minds the intelligent African elephant, which he depicted in brilliant, arresting shades. The original African Elephant canvas is now worth $3.25 million and is on display at the Martin Lawrence Galleries inside The Forum Shops at Caesars. African Elephant 72 VEGASMAGAZINE.COM importance of not losing these animals." Almost three decades later, as the elephant's loss of habitat continues, this wake-up call is as urgent as ever. Martin Lawrence Galleries, The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-991- 5990; martinlawrence.com V