Brian Andrew Whiteley
Brian Andrew Whiteley (born 1983) is a visual artist and curator based in New York City.
Work[edit]
 | This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. (October 2021) |
Whiteley's artistic practice incorporates various mediums including sculpture, video, and new media. Working primarily as an investigatory performance artist, he is best known for his large-scale, interactive projects meant to manipulate media outlets through incitement and provocation. His specific series have delved into pop culture, product marketing, sexual fetishes, relationship identifiers, film satire, gender roles, and cultural stereotypes.
Trump Tombstone[edit]
In 2016, Whiteley gained public notoriety through his controversial and widely publicized Trump Tombstone.
The 500-pound gravestone dedicated to Republican Party presidential candidate Donald Trump was originally uncovered in the early hours of Easter Sunday in New York City's Central Park. The stone read "Made America Hate Again" and listed Trump, Donald J in sharp letters. Although it was taken down in a matter of hours, images of the work circulated on social media and police searched for the culprit, the artist remained unidentified nearly two months, although he gave an anonymous interviews affirming the work as "political satire and a guerrilla art piece."[1][2]
After an extensive investigation by the Secret Service and the NYPD, Whiteley was revealed as the creator of the Trump Tombstone.[3] The Secret Service and NYPD interrogated the artist in his home, asking him "if he owned a gun, if he attended presidential rallies, and about the books he read."[4] Whiteley was never charged with a crime and was eventually allowed to pick up the tombstone from the NYPD evidence locker.[4]
Clowns and Bigfoot[edit]
In 2013, Whiteley began an ongoing series of public performances, sculptures, and installations that comment on American pop culture phenomena through various characters such as clowns and Bigfoot. Through these various personas, Whiteley explored how the media substantiates works of art and how far can he can push them on coverage.[5]
Whiteley has been credited as the originator of the widespread 2016 Clown Sightings in the United States.[6]
Art fairs[edit]
Whiteley is the founder of Miami's annual SATELLITE Art Show.[7]
References[edit]
- ^ Apr 2, Emma WhitfordPublished; Apr 3, 2016Modified; 2016Share (2016-04-02). "How A Brooklyn Artist Allegedly Snuck Trump's Tombstone Into Central Park". Gothamist. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Thomas, Ben (2013-05-10). "Article expired". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
- ^ Ryzik, Melena (2016-05-10). "Artist Behind Donald Trump Gravestone in Central Park Steps Forward". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
- ^ a b McDermott, Emily (2016-07-20). "Matters of Life and Death: Brian Whiteley Retrieves His Trump Tombstone From the NYPD". ARTnews.com. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
- ^ Anneliese Cooper (4 March 2015) http://www.blouinartinfo.com/news/story/1110632/clowns-pin-ups-and-packing-peanuts-9-must-sees-at-springbreak, "Artinfo."
- ^ Robbins, Christopher (2016-10-03). "NYPD Claims Creepy Clowns Do Not Pose Existential Threat to NYC". The Village Voice. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
- ^ Farley, Michael Anthony (2015-10-23). "Announcing F.A.G. and a New, Artist-Run Satellite Show in Miami". Art F City. Retrieved 2023-01-31.