Daniel Edwards
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Daniel Edwards (born 1965, La Porte, Indiana) is an American sculptor whose pieces address celebrity and popular culture in ways that have often stirred controversy. The release of the pieces is generally accompanied by press releases.
His works include a sculpture of the disembodied head of Ted Williams, a life-sized statue of Britney Spears giving birth while nude on her hands and knees on a bearskin rug[1], a bust of Senator Hillary Clinton[2], and a 25 foot bust of Fidel Castro.
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[edit] Britney Spears
Edwards titled the piece "Monument to Pro-Life: The Birth of Sean Preston," explaining that it symbolized Spears' decision to put childbirth ahead of her career.[1]Britney Spears actually had a caesarean section.
In an Associated Press interview, Edwards asserted that he incorporates celebrity stories because[3]:
"You’re bombarded with these stories. And there’s a thread that winds back to the art. That’s not a bad thing. People are interested in sex, and it works for art as well."
Edwards conceded, however, that he "wouldn't march with either pro-life or pro-choice advocates".
A number of the images shown in the media are casts of the sculpture rather than the original. Casts can be distinguished by the joins around the forearms and shins and by their paler color.
[edit] Hillary Clinton
The life-size bust of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton is titled "Presidential Bust of Hillary Rodham Clinton". The sculpture depicts her wearing a low-cut floral dress.[2]
[edit] Suri Cruise
On 28 August 2006, Edwards unveiled a sculpture entitled "Suri's bronzed baby poop", purported to be the actual first bowel movement of the baby of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. The sculpture was to be auctioned on eBay, and Edwards was commissioned to produce a limited-edition plaster replica. Sources disagreed on whether the bronze sculpture actually contained Suri's excrement: some reported that it did[4], while others reported the story as being a hoax. [5]
[edit] Fidel Castro
Edwards promoted his sculpture, "Fidel Castro's Deathbed Portrait," by sending a press release[6] announcing its unveiling in Central Park in New York City, although he did not apply for the proper permits.
[edit] Paris Hilton Autopsy
This life-size sculpture of Paris Hilton depicts the heiress dead and naked with her legs spread. She is wearing a tiara and clutching a mobile phone. Her pet Chihuahua, Tinkerbell, also wearing a tiara, is featured resting its front paws on her breast. The sculpture is aimed at stopping young women from drinking and driving, a crime of which Hilton had previously been found guilty and subsequently sentenced to jail after breaking probation.[7] The sculpture also has an open abdominal cavity with removable life-size organs and twin fetuses, which visitors to the exhibition may hold if they wear special gloves.
The publicity around this work even attempted to incorporate a Web 2.0-style participatory element, with a contest for viewers to submit their own essays about drunk driving.
The artwork was unveiled on 11 May 2007 at Capla Kesting Fine Art in New York. [7]
[edit] Dead Prince Harry
A sculpture of Prince Harry depicting him dead, in military uniform, his head resting upon a Bible with a locket of his mother's clasped in his hands and with a vulture standing by his feet. Edwards suggests that the sculpture shows how Prince Harry "must have died the day they told him he couldn't serve" (in Iraq).[8][9]
[edit] Oprah Sarcophagus
Edwards created a half-scale model depicting Oprah's Sarcophagus at Gardenfresh Gallery in Chicago at In April 2008. The golden bronze casket lid bears an unclothed full-figure rendering of the media mogul with vertical stripes. Along side it is the artist's Oprah Burial Mask. [10]
[edit] Other works
In 1997, Edwards spent 30 hours with former Alabama governor George Corley Wallace preparing to create a wax bust of Wallace.
In 2009, Edwards released "String Of Babies" depicting Nadya Suleman (also known as "Octomom") as an octopus embracing the world's only surviving set of octuplets.[11]
[edit] Quotations
I can sexualize anything, it's my ace in the hole.
- Daniel Edwards
[edit] Documentary
Vacant Era Films has announced that the highly anticipated Daniel Edwards and XVALA documentary is currently in production and set for release fall (2009). Filmmaker Dave Smith will capture the lives’ of both artists and their latest collaboration, to be unveiled in New York City, Los Angeles, and Oklahoma City.
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ a b "Monument to Pro-Life: The Birth of Sean Preston". CaplaKesting.com. Capla Kesting Fine Art. 2006-03-22. http://www.caplakesting.com/2006_catalog/de/index.htm. Retrieved on 2009-03-21.
- ^ a b "Sex museum displays Hillary Rodham Clinton bust". USA Today (Associated Press). 2006-08-11. http://www.usatoday.com/news/offbeat/2006-08-11-clinton-bust_x.htm. Retrieved on 2009-03-21.
- ^ "Is pregnant Britney a pro-life symbol?". MSNBC (Associated Press). 2006-03-29. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12055117/. Retrieved on 2009-03-21.
- ^ Simmons, Christopher. "Alleged Suri Cruise's Baby Poop Bronzed for Charity". Send2Press Newswire (2006-08-28). http://www.send2press.com/newswire/2006-08-0828-005.shtml. Retrieved on 2009-03-21.
- ^ "Artist Mocks Celebrity Obsession With Suri Cruise Stool Sculpture". Starpulse Entertainment (World Entertainment News Network). 2006-08-31. http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2006/08/31/artist_mocks_celebrity_obsession_with_su. Retrieved on 2009-03-21.
- ^ Simmons, Christopher (2006-10-24). "Castro's 'Last Visit' to Central Park: 'Deathbed Portrait' of Fidel as Humanitarian Goes on Display in NY". Send2Press Newswire. http://www.send2press.com/newswire/2006-10-1024-004.shtml. Retrieved on 2009-03-21.
- ^ a b "Paris Hilton Autopsy' Educates New York City Teens". CaplaKesting.com. Capla Kesting Fine Art. 2007-04-26. http://www.caplakesting.com/parishiltonautopsy/index.htm. Retrieved on 2009-03-21.
- ^ Lowe, Felix (2007-10-05). "RIP Prince Harry: an artistic 'memorial'". Telegraph.co.uk (Telegraph Media Group). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1565052/RIP-Prince-Harry-an-artistic-memorial.html. Retrieved on 2009-03-21.
- ^ "'Dead Prince Harry' to be shown". BBC News. 2007-10-05. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7030133.stm. Retrieved on 2009-03-21.
- ^ Controversial Sculptor Exhibits Oprah Sarcophagus, ARTINFO, April 25, 2008, http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/27463/controversial-sculptor-exhibits-oprah-sarcophagus/, retrieved on 2008-05-14
- ^ K, Michael (2009-03-20). "OctoMommy As Art". D Listed. http://www.dlisted.com/node/31237. Retrieved on 2009-03-21.
[edit] External links
- Castro in Central Park at YouTube, a short film by A.D. Calvo
- Hillary's Bust at YouTube, a short film by A.D. Calvo
- The Several Severed Heads of Daniel Edwards at YouTube, a short film by A.D. Calvo
- European journal Culturekiosque comments on significance of Edwards' Paris Hilton Autopsy and other sculptures, and his play with celebrity, media, classical mythology and even search engine optimization.
