Living Statues Ironically Celebrate Trump’s Stupidest Decisions

Trump Living Statues

The first installment of three popped up in and around Washington D.C. in mid-July, the second installment of three appeared along Portland’s waterfront yesterday. They look like life-size gold statues depicting some of President Trump’s most divisive decisions, but in reality they are local performers painted gold and are part of commercial director Bryan Buckley’s Trump Statue Initiative.

Trump Living Statues

now go back to school trump statue initiative
Now Go Back To School in Washington D.C.’s Freedom Plaza

Unlike traditional statues, these living art pieces convey a sense of now and urgency. The ironic narratives stand upon makeshift plinths embellished with the name of the piece, followed by Donald Trump, 2016-2020 “Destroyer of Civil Rights and Liberties”

Director Bryan Buckley.
Director Bryan Buckley. Photograph by Andrew Beaujon.

The first installation ‘Now Go Back To School’ (ignoring the advice of the World Health Organization regarding Covid)  ‘The Bunker’ (referring to his cowardice) and ‘The Poser’ (referring to his holding the bible upside down) went up last month around Washington, D.C.

The Bunker trump statue initiative
The Bunker in front of the Trump Hotel in Washington D.C.

“I noticed that Trump was obsessed with statues,” Buckley told AdAge. “I felt like the best thing we could do was to create these very honest statues of the legacy he’s living right now, that let the world see exactly who he is.”

the poser trump statue initiative
The Poser in Washington D.C.’s Freedom Plaza

Today, ‘Ode To Putin’, ‘Some Federal Property We Can Attack’ and ‘I Just Wish Her Well Frankly’ -a reference to his ignorant comment about Ghislaine Maxwell- all appeared in Portland, Oregon.

ode to putin truck

Ode to Putin Trump Statue initiative 1

Ode to Putin Trump Statue initiative 2

detail from ode to putin 2

detail from ode to putin 3

detail from ode to putin

“We wanted to create these sort of defining moments of his presidency,” Buckley says, “in terms of everything that was wrong.”

some federal property we can attack trump statue initiative
Some Federal Property We Can Attack in Portland, Oregon
I just wish her well Trump Statue Initiative IIHIH
I Just Wish Her (Ghislaine Maxwell) Well Frankly in Portland, Oregon
I just wish her well Trump Statue Initiative2 IIHIH
Another view of the Trump statue that references Ghislaine Maxwell
detail on the The Trump Statue Initiative truck.
detail on the The Trump Statue Initiative truck.

Trump Statue Initiative

trump statue initiative
all images and information courtesy of The Trump Statue Initiative