A large, frowning face looked down over Interstate 15 in Las Vegas, Nev., this weekend. This face topped a 43-foot tall nude statue, that was immediately recognizable as a depiction of former President Donald Trump.
How did it get there, and why was it there? Reporters have been looking into the mysterious art installation this week to find out.
Photos show that the sculpture was lifted up above the roadway with a crane, and a beautiful mountain scene can be spotted behind it. According to KTNV Channel 13, the artist behind the piece reached out to the outlet and revealed that it is called “Crooked and Obscene.”
Per the artist’s description, the statue is a commentary on the lack of transparency in politics and a reflection on the controversial nature of Trump, who is currently running for president again as the GOP’s candidate. It is made from foam and weighs approximately 6,000 pounds.
When the installation appeared in the Las Vegas area, Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate, was in the area at the World Market Center. The artist, who remained anonymous in Channel 13’s report, said they plan to showcase the work in every swing state (Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, per The New York Times).
In Nevada, the state’s Republican party slammed the piece in a press release.
“The Nevada Republican Party strongly condemns the deplorable statue of President Donald J. Trump recently hung from a crane along Interstate 15. While families drive through Las Vegas, they are forced to view this offensive marionette, designed intentionally for shock value rather than meaningful dialogue,” said the statement. “President Trump and Republicans are focused on delivering results that matter—reducing inflation, securing our borders, creating jobs, and ensuring a brighter future for all Americans. While Democrats, especially Kamala Harris, continue to prioritize shock value over substance. President Trump is the only candidate in this race standing up for working men and women across Nevada. Do the NV Dems support this kind of pornographic portrayal of a former President?”
Notably, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called (half of) Trump’s supporters a “basket of deplorables,” in a 2016 speech when she was running against him for president. Time reported on the immediate pushback she got for the statement.
The New York Post reported that it reached out to Nevada’s Democratic party about the statue but had not heard back. Newsweek also contacted the campaigns of Trump and Kamala Harris via email for comment, and the federal highway administration by email on Tuesday asking whether the artist had permission to put up the statue.
The Post reported that people stopped to stare at it and take selfies while it was up.
“I think it’s a funny, comical gesture for the up-and-coming election,” Nathan Oubre, a 32-year-old a gas industry worker, told the outlet. “Normally, you don’t see things like this, but it just gives a sign of laughter to the world seeing a big, huge statue of Donald Trump naked.”
According to The Independent, the 6,000-pound statue disappeared as suddenly as it materialized along the highway. It said that the piece may have been moved in order to travel to the next swing state.
“The Independent has reached to Las Vegas Metro police for more information,” said the outlet.
Multiple outlets noted that this piece is just the latest in a string of “naked Trump” themed artwork. For example, statues made by Las Vegas-based artist Joshua “Ginger” Monroe helped create nude statues of the candidate in 2016 with the group INDECLINE for “The Emperor Has No Balls” project. Newsweek also mentioned the “Trump Baby” balloon that flew over London during Trump’s visit there.
Of course, artists have to guess at what Trump looks like in the buff so it’s unclear how realistic any of these works are. Last summer, the public even seemed shocked to learn Trump’s real weight when he was booked in Fulton County, though it is also unclear how accurate that figure was.
In West Hartford, Ct., a statue of Harris also went up, though that one is smaller, and clothed.
Matt Warshauer, a professor and political historian at Central Connecticut State University, creates a “United States Funhouse” on his lawn for Halloween. This year, the display includes a 16-foot-tall replica of the Statue of Liberty, with a face bearing a likeness to the vice president.
“She’s not a sociopath. She has spent her entire life in government service and service to people,” Warshauer told local outlet We-Ha.com. “She is not a fundamental threat to the system. … I see her as a stable force.”