This was published 7 years ago
Kanye West, Kim Kardashian and Taylor Swift mural by Melbourne artist gets censored
By Hannah Francis
Serial Melbourne stunt artist Lushsux has painted a fresh mural next to a train line in Richmond visible to passing commuters, which depicts celebrities Kanye West, Kim Kardashian and Taylor Swift naked in bed together.
The scene is straight out of the video clip for West's song Famous.
Within hours Lushsux's mural had been censored; at first covering up Swift's and West's nipples with pink love hearts, and then covering up the hearts with smiling "Kimojis" (emojis using Kardashian's face).
"It was made 'family friendly' last night. It seems people are actually more offended that it has been censored than by it being in its original uncensored form," Lushsux said.
"It had to become a more 'family friendly' mural, people seem to get very triggered by nipples these days.
"The council contractors usually are pretty good at censoring the work, adding a bra or a top to a figure. Having a laugh I guess."
Lushsux has rubbed shoulders with the world's most famous street artist Banksy. His profile has risen in recent months thanks to a series of provocative or explicit murals that have drawn the ire of local councils.
In March Melbourne City Council quickly censored two giant nudes Lushsux painted in Hosier lane, almost as soon as they'd gone up.
In July Maribyrnong City Council ordered a small business to remove a Lushsux mural – painted with its permission – which depicted Hillary Clinton in a skimpy swimsuit. Lushsux gave her a niqab to wear instead before the mural was painted over completely last month.
Lushsux painted a controversial mural of Taylor Swift in Hosier Lane in July. While not explicit, it suggested the pop star was dead. Several other street artists then painted over the work.
The artist painted another Kardashian in Cremorne earlier in the year, but it too was quickly defaced.
The Melbourne City Council's graffiti management plan says it is criminal offence in Victoria to "create offensive graffiti that is visible from a public place if that graffiti would offend a reasonable person".
Lushsux said he was only creating what artists have been painting since the very beginning of time – "the aristocracy of the day". "I just do it on a grander scale," he added.
"The days of the struggling starving artist locked away in a studio only to be discovered magically are over. Now you can be a well known struggling starving artist locked away in a studio but have a huge international following."
West created the original work depicted in the new Lushsux mural. It includes 12 wax likenesses of naked celebrities sleeping in a bed – including Donald Trump, George W. Bush and Caitlin Jenner – and is his take on Vincent Desiderio's Sleep. West presented the work to the public in Los Angeles in what was officially his first art exhibition.
The hip-hop artist has since been criticised for commissioning other artists to bring the work to life rather than creating it himself.