Illma Gore has received thousands of abusive messages for the piece, with one anonymous source threatening to sue her if she ever sells it
If you’ve been anywhere near the internet this year, you’ll know about the Donald Trump ‘baby dick’ portrait. How can you not? The haunting creation, painted by LA artist Illma Gore, has been everywhere over the last few months; with even Facebook being forced to ban it for its ‘offensive’ content.
The piece, titled ‘Make America Great Again’, is a reimagining of the Republican candidate’s pink and fleshy body – complete with micropenis detailing. After going viral shortly after it was posted to Gore’s website in February, it has now made its way to the Maddox Gallery in London; where it is currently on sale for £1m.
“It’s pretty crazy,” reveals Gore, when asked about all the commotion. “I was sitting in a car thinking about how I could make my point to my friends about how genitals don't have any correlation to who you are as a person. I used Donald Trump’s face – because it immediately causes you to react – and I put it on a body that I truly think is beautiful. Small and all doesn't take away from Trump being a prick.”
Unfortunately, while the portrait initially seems like a great success for Gore, things have now taken a much darker turn. According to reports, the gender fluid artist is currently receiving legal threats from an anonymous source, who is promising to take action if she ever makes the move to sell it (apparently, because of the painting’s resemblance to Trump, it may be invoking the Digital Millennium Copyright Act). Gore has also admitted to receiving thousands of death threats – as well as sexist abuse – from offended Trump supporters.
“It sucks to see an email from someone sending you your own address threatening violence,” she says, before adding that if anything violent did happen, it would at least be “part of the art piece.”
She also admits that she is “dealing” with a number of other issues – namely from Facebook, who banned the image after it violated their notoriously strict no-nudity policy. “Facebook can make it's own policies, the issue is that I didn't break any of their policies,” she stresses. “The ACLU has jumped on the case and is helping me out immensely. Anyone who is scared of a small fictional penis doesn't frighten me!”
For those of you who haven’t already seen the piece, you can see it in full here. Otherwise you can head down to the Maddox Gallery in Mayfair, where it is currently on display.
