In Honor of a Lifetime of Sexual Assault

In Honor of a Lifetime of Sexual Assault
Year2024 (2024)
MediumSculpture
SubjectDonald Trump
LocationPortland, Oregon; Philadelphia

In Honor of a Lifetime of Sexual Assault is the name of two statues of Donald Trump by an anonymous artist, installed in the United States in October 2024. The sculptures were installed in Portland, Oregon, and Philadelphia. Both were removed soon after being installed.

Portland, Oregon

In downtown Portland, a satirical statue of former U.S. president Donald Trump by an anonymous artist appeared on 6th Avenue between Alder and Morrison Streets on October 27, 2024. It was erected next to Kvinneakt (1973–1975) by Norman J. Taylor, which depicts a nude woman.[1][2] The statue of Trump had a plaque with the text "In Honor of a Lifetime of Sexual Assault" and part of a quote from the Donald Trump Access Hollywood tape:

I just start kissing them. It's like a magnet. Just kiss. I don't even wait. And when you're a star they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything.[1]

The statue had felt clothing spray painted gold, as well as plastic and other materials.[3] It depicted Trump "grinning and making a lewd gesture to passerby", according to the Portland Tribune.[1] Trump was shown wearing a loose-fitted suit and slip-on shoes, with his mouth "twisted into a smirk", his hair "feathered high" as a comb over or a "pompadour of sorts", and his right hand curled in a "lewd" and "suggestive" fashion, according to The Oregonian.[4][5] The Portland Mercury said the fingers on Trump's left hand were "pinched together in a pervy gesture".[6]

Within hours of being installed, the statue was vandalized in the form of a beheading by an unknown individual.[3] The plaque was later removed by Portland City Council (District 4) candidate Brandon Farley, who has been described as a "right-wing" videographer and calls himself as a "fearless Trump supporter" running to "Make Portland Great Again". Farley filmed himself using a chisel to remove the plaque and shared the video on social media.[6][7] By the end of October 28, the sculpture was removed entirely, with the exception of one shoe.[3][5]

Philadelphia

In Philadelphia, the gold-colored statue was installed near Maja (1942), a bronze statue by German sculptor Gerhard Marcks depicting a nude woman, in Maja Park along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway on October 30, 2024.[8] It depicts Trump "with a cupped hand pointed toward the nude female figure", according to Hyperallergic.[9] The Philadelphia Inquirer said the sculpture shows Trump with "his right hand held out in a crude gesture".[10] The statue was approximately 8 feet tall[11] and similarly had a plaque on the base with the same quote from the Access Hollywood tape.[8][12] A permit was not issued for the art installation, which was removed by city workers the same day.[8][10][13]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Pursinger, Geoff (2024-10-28). "Portland Donald Trump parody statue didn't last long. It was destroyed the same day it was erected". Portland Tribune. OCLC 46708462. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
  2. ^ Humphrey, Wm Steven. "Good Morning, News: Local Ballot Boxes Set on Fire, Jeff Bezos Caves In, and Trump Statue Appears Downtown". Portland Mercury. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
  3. ^ a b c Salk, Ariel; Steele, Tim. "Pop-up Trump statue makes political point in Portland". KOIN.
  4. ^ Silverman, Julia (2024-10-27). "Satirical Trump statue appears overnight on downtown Portland street, only to be beheaded hours later". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317. OCLC 985410693. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
  5. ^ a b Silverman, Julia (2024-10-28). "And just like that, Trump pop-up statue next to famous Portland bronze nude disappears from downtown". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
  6. ^ a b Vaughn, Courtney. "Good Morning, News: Trump Parody Statue Defiled, North Korea Gangs Up on Ukraine, and Daylight Saving Can't End Soon Enough". Portland Mercury. Retrieved 2024-10-29.
  7. ^ Ferrara, John Ross (October 29, 2024). "City council candidate removes 'sexual assault' plaque from pop-up Trump statue". KOIN.
  8. ^ a b c Zarkhin, Fedor (2024-10-31). "First Portland, then Philly gets its own Trump statue. It also did not last long". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
  9. ^ Farfan, Isa (2024-11-01). "Crudely Gesturing Trump Effigy Appears in Philadelphia". Hyperallergic. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  10. ^ a b Farr, Stephanie (2024-10-30). "Rogue Trump statue in Center City commemorates 'a lifetime of sexual assault'". Inquirer.com. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
  11. ^ Cohen, Gabe (2024-10-31). "More anti-Trump statues are popping up across US. Anonymous artist attached to the project says there could be more | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
  12. ^ Avilucea, Isaac; D'Onofrio, Mike (2024-10-31). "News Market: Temporary Trump statue". Axios Philadelphia. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
  13. ^ Tanenbaum, Michael (2024-10-30). "Statue of Donald Trump leering at naked sculpture removed from park on Ben Franklin Parkway". Philly Voice. Retrieved 2024-10-31.