It’s been one of those weeks for the orange hued leader of the free world in waiting. Fresh off that rather explosive Russian dossier, which saw the President-Elect fielding some rather awkward questions, the art world have stepped up their attempts to get under his clearly very thin skin. Firstly, dozens of artists have called for a strike on the day of his inauguration, asking museums, schools, theatres and concert halls to close for the day and hit the streets in protest. Trump’s VP Pence will at least be happy that the theatres will be closing, after the famous homophobe was famously called out by the cast of hit musical Hamilton after he attended one of their performances.
In more inscrutable terms though, Richard Prince may or may not have created a work based on Ivanka Trump a few years ago, and has recently given back the money. The artist, famed for his works of appropriation, called out one of his own works as “fake art”, saying he denounced it. Prince, like many in the art world, have become increasingly vocal as the reality of President Trump begins to kick in, most recently comparing him to a Nazi. Ivanka’s extensive collection of modern art also drew criticism and soul-searching from the art world about their complicity.
In more Trump related art news, a petition submitted to email inbox botherers change.org has called for Trump to commission Christo, he of floating piers fame, to build that wall. Christo, and his longtime partner Jeanne-Claude, have history of building walls, blocking off a street in Paris in protest at the erection of the Berlin Wall in the early 60s. In the 70s they created Running Fence, a 25 mile long across the hills of Sonoma in California. The petition calls for Christo to turn Trump’s racist project “into a public art event” to “help improve the image of the US”. Good luck with that.
Anyway, what we’re really waiting for, is Andres Serrrano to make a version of his infamous Piss Christ in tribute to Trump. Here’s hoping.
Credits
Text Felix Petty
Image via Twitter