Ivanka Trump criticises ‘sexist’ artwork featuring lookalike of herself vacuum cleaning
Written by News on 07/02/2019
Ivanka Trump has criticised a new art exhibit featuring a lookalike of herself vacuum cleaning.
The piece at the Flashpoint Gallery in Washington invites spectators to throw breadcrumbs for her to clean up.
Ms Trump, the US president’s eldest daughter, has been joined by her brothers in branding the exhibit a sexist attempt to humiliate her.
The artwork is titled Ivanka Vacuuming and was created by Jennifer Rubell.
The public is encouraged to “throw crumbs onto the carpet, watching as Ivanka elegantly vacuums up the mess, her smile never wavering”.
A large text description of the work hanging on the gallery wall describes Ms Trump as “a figure whose public persona incorporates an almost comically wide range of feminine identities – daughter, wife, mother, sister, model, working woman, blonde”.
It also describes her as a “contemporary feminine icon” and an avatar for the complexities of modern femininity.
The text adds that the act of throwing breadcrumbs onto the carpet for her to vacuum is “surprisingly pleasurable”.
Ms Trump, a senior White House adviser, tweeted along with a link to the story: “Women can choose to knock each other down or build each other up. I choose the latter.”
Donald Trump Jr tweeted: “Sad, but not surprising to watch self-professed ‘feminists’ launching sexist attacks against @IvankaTrump. In their crazed world, sexism is OK if (it) hurts their political enemies.”
Eric Trump called his sister a “powerful woman who has done more for women than probably anybody in Washington DC” on Fox News.
Kristi Maiselman, executive director of the CulturalDC arts organisation, said her group is always happy to present “timely boundary-pushing installations”.
Ms Rubell, a New York-based conceptual artist, said in an interview on the CulturalDC website that the experience is meant to draw observers and crumb-throwers into a complicit relationship.
She said: “Here is what’s complicated: We enjoy throwing the crumbs for Ivanka to vacuum. That is the icky truth at the centre of the work.
“It’s funny, it’s pleasurable, it makes us feel powerful, and we want to do it more.
“Also, we know she’ll keep vacuuming whether we do it or not, so it’s not really our fault, right?”
The exhibition opened on 1 February and will continue through to 17 February.
(c) Sky News 2019: Ivanka Trump criticises ‘sexist’ artwork featuring lookalike of herself vacuum cleaning
