Naked Donald Trump plop art sculpture in the Castro #SF pic.twitter.com/P3vr7xbVX0
— Larry-bob (@larrybobsf) August 18, 2016
A bloated, nude effigy of Donald Trump appeared (where else?) at Jane Warner Plaza in the Castro Thursday morning, and the work is part of a coordinated, nationwide effort by an anarchist group, with naked Trumps popping up in public spaces in New York, LA, Seattle, and Cleveland this morning as well. Playing off "The Emperor's New Clothes," each statue has a plaque at its base that says, "The Emperor Has No Balls." As one Twitterer describes it, it's "plop art."
Update: We've got some photos of our own now, Scott Wiener and all.
The Washington Post reports that anarchist collective INDECLINE, who "signed" each statue, is also responsible for overlaying the names of African Americans killed by police on stars on Hollywood's Walk of Fame back in March.
The project has apparently been four months in the making, and the statues themselves were designed by Las Vegas-based monster-movie and haunted house artist Ginger (one name). He tells the paper, "When [INDECLINE] approached me, it was all because of my monster-making abilities. Trump is just yet another monster, so it was absolutely in my wheelhouse to be able to create these monstrosities.” Ginger has also been a keynote speaker at haunted house conventions, so that's fun.
A video went up today showing Ginger's entire process of sculpting Trump, micro-penis and all, and creating the molds to make each statue.
INDECLINE might be based in Oakland (here's a mural of theirs on a water tank in West Oakland), and they also sell merch, including a "Fuck Trump" sticker pack.
An anonymous spokesperson for the collective told the Washington Post, "Like it or not, Trump is a larger-than-life figure in world culture at the moment. Looking back in history, that’s how those figures were memorialized and idolized in their time with statues."
But this group was likely not the same one responsible for constructing a miniature wall around Trump's own star on the Walk of Fame, which happened late last month, per LAist. (Trump's star also got a swastika painted on it in January.)
Here is some evidence of the other Trumps. Gothamist is encouraging people to get their picture taken with the one in NY's Union Square.
A nude statue of Donald Trump appeared in Union Square today. pic.twitter.com/PifSklJXHx
— Breaking News Feed (@pzf) August 18, 2016
But the emperor has no clothes!!!! Naked Donald Trump statues in several U.S. cities - The Washington Post https://t.co/XPcL9DMB8U
— Peggy Papakosta (@PeggyPapakosta) August 18, 2016
And, much like LA-based painter Illma Gore did in her depiction of Trump earlier this year, this one also has a baby dick.
Update: The statue in New York's Union Square has already been removed by city workers. Noooo!
Previously: Artist Protests Facebook Ban After She Reposts 'Baby Dick' Trump Painting