Courtesy of Plastic Jesus
Harvey Weinstein has made an appearance in Hollywood, but this time it’s in the shape of a golden statue made by two artists Plastic Jesus and Joshua “Ginger” Monroe, the latter of which was responsible for the notorious nude Donald Trump sculpture. The latest installation, Casting Couch, depicts a berobed Harvey Weinstein holding an Oscar award strategically close to his groin and beckoning pedestrians to sit next to him.
The 90th Academy Awards ceremony is set to be held this Sunday (4 March) and the two artists have utilised the occasion to shine a light on the film industry’s hypocrisy. The same institutions that have repeatedly covered up sexual assault allegations are now condemning Harvey Weinstein, a producer they have previously awarded.
“The whole couch and the entire image it gives off was, to me, a visual representation of the practices and methods that are used in Hollywood with these big powerful people. They have money and power to give jobs and they use that for their own sexual gratification and there’s no better way to visualise this than the way we did with the casting couch,” Ginger tells The Hollywood Reporter.
This is not the first time an award ceremony has been used as a platform to protest the abuse of power. This year’s Golden Globes saw attendees wearing black to raise awareness about the endemic culture of sexual assault and sexual harassment in the film industry.
Courtesy of Plastic Jesus
Courtesy of Plastic Jesus
Courtesy of Plastic Jesus
Share Article
Further Info
About the Author
—
Daphne has worked for us for a few years now as a freelance writer. She covers everything from photography and graphic design to the ways in which artists are using AI.