On Wednesday (Feb. 22), a life-size sculpture of a golden Kanye West with outstretched arms, Yeezy Boost 350 sneakers and a crown of thorns was unveiled on the corner of Hollywood Boulevard. The crucified Yeezy is a reimagined Oscar statue titled “False Idol” by street artist Plastic Jesus.
The artist will be showing “False Idol” in a special exhibition with former Camp Freddy and Billy Idol guitarist Billy Morrison. Anesthesia: The Art of Oblivion, the exhibit co-sponsored by Gibson Brands and luxury car manufacturer Aston Martin, will showcase a range of equally inventive and thought-provoking works from paintings to large-scale installations.
Billboard recently caught up with the artist and asked about the inspiration. “When you build people up into a god, there’s expectations you have of them. When these people show that they’re only human and they err in some way, we then crucify them in the media.
This happened to Kanye just before Christmas — he went into a medical facility suffering from stress, anxiety and paranoia. But as consumers and as the media, we’re all just after a pound of flesh.”
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