Oscars 2018: Harvey Weinstein statue appears near venue to ‘highlight sexual harassment in movie industry

‘There's an underbelly of darkness within the industry we often sweep under the carpet’

If a picture can tell a thousand words, what value for a statue? Particularly one cast in the colour of shiny gold?

A statue of disgraced movie producer Harvey Weinstein has appeared on a street close to the location of this year’s Oscars, the movie awards where he had success in 1999 for his film Shakespeare in Love and for which he was nominated in 2003 for Gangs of New York.

Those days seem far away. In the last six months, the 65-year-old has been the subject of countless allegations of sexual harassment, rape and misconduct and the target of at least two investigations by police. The producer has denied all the allegations.

Yet the statue of Weinstein, entitled Casting Couch, a name that may also tell a thousand words, is almost certainly the closest he will get to the 90th Academy Awards, taking place on Sunday. Despite his denials, many in the industry and beyond, have been quick to distance themselves from him since the flurry of allegations emerged.

The Associated Press said the statue of Weinstein in his bathrobe, was a collaborative work between a Los Angeles street artist known as Plastic Jesus and Joshua “Ginger” Monroe, designer of 2016’s nude Donald Trump statues that were placed in major US cities.

The life-sized Weinstein sculpture, displayed on Hollywood Boulevard, aims to put the spotlight on the entertainment industry’s sexual misconduct crisis and the disgraced studio mogul’s alleged role in it, Plastic Jesus said.

“There’s so much about Hollywood that’s great and celebrated in the Oscars, but there’s also this underbelly of darkness within the industry that we often sweep under the carpet or ignore,” said Plastic Jesus, formerly a London-based photographer.

The phrase “casting couch”, used to describe the demand of sexual favours for work, may seem like a relic of a bygone era but Plastic Jesus said it was still “very much a part of the Hollywood culture”.

The artist said he and Monroe first considered a standing Weinstein statue but quickly decided to incorporate a chaise lounge. The project, made of fibreglass and acrylic resin, was in the works for two months. It will be on display this weekend, weather permitting.

Visitors to the sculpture were sitting next to the faux Weinstein and taking selfies, turning it into an interactive instalment, Plastic Jesus said.

“For many, many people, aspiring actors and actresses, that would have been their dream to be close to Harvey, but that reality has proven a nightmare for some,” the artist said.

The piece was intentionally crafted to allow passers-by to sit beside Weinstein and take photos with him. Clenched in Weinstein’s right hand is an Oscar statue, strategically placed near his groin.

“For many years the exploitation of many hopefuls and established names in the industry was brushed under the carpet with their complaints of harassment and sexual abuse being ignored or worse,” Plastic Jesus told The Hollywood Reporter.

“Hopefully, now in the light of recent allegations against many leading figures in Hollywood, the industry will clean up its act.”

Plastic Jesus – who, like UK artist Banksy, maintains his anonymity – said his statue was paid for by donations.

The artist’s other stunts include street signs seeking to “ban” members of the Kardashian family from parking.

The appearance of the statue came on the same day it was confirmed that the company Weinstein co-founded has been saved from bankruptcy.

The Weinstein Company will now be run by a largely female board after an investor group, led by the businesswoman Maria Contreras-Sweet, paid $500m for its assets.