Met Gala Accused Of Ripping Off Artist’s Giant Plastic Chandelier Design
While most eyes were on the glitz and glamor of the annual gala held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, one artist spotted an artwork in the background that seemingly bore a striking resemblance to his own.
American artist Willie Cole and several art enthusiasts have pointed out that a giant chandelier hanging as the centerpiece of the Met Gala may have been plagiarized, especially since it appeared to be made out of plastic water bottles, just like the artists’ works.
Previously, the sculptor created Spirit Catcher and Lumen-less Lantern, two mammoth-sized chandeliers made from water bottles strung together with metal wire. The pieces were a commentary on residents’ water crisis in Newark, New Jersey.
Curator Ellen Hawley, who previously worked with the artist, took to Instagram to voice concerns, calling the piece seen at the star-studded event “a blatant copy” of one of the museum’s own exhibiting artists.
Cole’s other artworks are currently on display at the Met, with the Mezzanine store carrying many of his prints and home décor products. However, the sculptor had not been invited to collaborate or work on the Met Gala installation, nor had he given his permission for his work to be replicated.
The artist himself chimed in on the accusation, concurring with Hawley’s assessment of the situation: “I’ve been receiving message[s] since last night about the blatant rip off of my water bottle works. I agree. Is this flattery or thievery?”
According to ARTnews, other figures in the industry, such as artists Michel Pred and Pamela Council, have shown their support for Cole. Both of the artist’s chandelier artworks are still on view at Express Newark, where he is an artist-in-residence this year.
Tadao Ando, the designer of the Met Gala exhibition who created the chandelier in question, has yet to respond to the controversy, though event planner Raul Àvila told Vogue the work tapped into plastic bottles as a “way to create a sustainable design” for the “breathtaking installation.”
View this post on Instagram
[via ARTnews and Willie Cole, cover image via Rawf88 | Dreamstime.com]
