See It: The Completely Innocent Piece of Trump Art That Art Show Allegedly Booted for Being ‘Suggestive’

A Florida art gallery owner accused the organizers of the Scope Art Show in Miami of censorship, claiming they forced her to remove a painting featuring President-elect Donald Trump because they don’t like his political views.

The Trump portrait was created by the artist Shyglo, “who does photorealistic oil paintings of cultural figures (think Marilyn Monroe and Notorious B.I.G.) and shapes neon into words that cover their faces,” the New York Post reported.

The piece in question features Trump’s face with the neon word “huge” covering his eyes.

Gallery claims it was forced to remove Donald Trump artwork from Miami’s Scope Art Show: ‘Censorship’ https://t.co/ZcacUL5Cv5 pic.twitter.com/Vu1HeDjouK

— Page Six (@PageSix) December 5, 2024

Lindsay Kotler, the owner of L. Kotler Fine Art gallery in Miami, said fair organizers told her to remove the Trump piece on Monday.

“We were asked to remove it immediately from our booth,” Kotler told the Post. “At first they wouldn’t give a reason.”

She was later told the painting was “suggestive” — a notion she found suspicious and absurd — because there was nothing offensive about it.

“It was pretty alarming. [The work] is not offensive in any way,” Kotler told the Post. “It’s a beautiful artwork.”

Anyone who immediately thinks the neon sign “huge” is sexually “suggestive” or a phallic reference is a pervert who should get his mind out of the gutter.

The word “huge” (or “yuge”) is a common Trumpism, like “bigly” or “covfefe.” None are suggestive or sexual in nature.

Kai Trump says “Yuge” just like grandpa pic.twitter.com/CJzBqSWcRI

— Karli Bonne’ 🇺🇸 (@KarluskaP) December 5, 2024

Kotler added that the artist is not political and does similar portraits of other celebrities without regard to their political views.

“That artist, his paintings are of diverse icons: Michael Jordan, Prince, Obama. He’s not focused on Republicans or Trump. It’s supposed to inspire conversations like art should,” she said. “I was baffled. That was not the reaction I thought I would get.”

Kotler, who represents artists from all political backgrounds, said she, too, is apolitical and views the attack on the Trump portrait as censorship.

“I’m not an advocate of censorship in art,” she told the Post. “It’s sad to me that art is being censored and that it all comes down to politics.”

A representative for the Scope Art Show denied the censorship allegations, saying politics had nothing to do with its decision.

“Scope Art Show is a steadfast champion of freedom of expression and has never asked a gallery to remove a work based on political or personal views in its 23-year history,” the art fair told the Post.

“L. Kotler Fine Art is one of at least 40 other galleries that were asked to rehang or remove artworks that weren’t part of their original accepted proposal as memorialized by a contract of participation.”

The art show rep noted that the L. Kotler Fine Art gallery was also asked to remove other pieces (not just the Trump portrait) “because they were not part of their original proposal and not installed according to the specifications.”

It’s unclear if this “scandal” was manufactured to hype the painting or if the fair organizers’ request was indeed political.

Either way, the gallery owner is having the last laugh, since the Trump portrait was sold after a bidding war erupted amid the uproar.

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