Queer artist behind naked Donald Trump portrait attacked by one of his supporters
Illma Gore, the artist who created an illustration of naked Donald Trump with a minuscule penis, claims that she was punched in the face by a Trump supporter.
The gender-fluid artist (who uses female pronouns) said that a man attacked her near her house in Los Angeles. According to Gore, the man got out of his car, hit her, shouted “Trump 2016!” and then drove off laughing.
Soon after the attack, Illma Gore took a photo showing her with a black eye and posted it on Instagram saying: “Though I encourage passion, opinion and emotion, especially though art, I think violence is disgusting.
To live in a place where Facebook has given my address to an anonymous third party makes me feel like I am homeless again. This type of violence makes creatives feel like we live in a world where our individual creative input isn’t safe. I am sad that this is the state of our America right now.”
Gore also claims she was called by Trump’s lawyers who were threatening her lawsuits.
The latest incident is not the first time when the artist experienced violence. When she was trying to sell her painting of Trump in America, she received rape and death threats. In addition, Trump’s lawyers called her twice threatening lawsuits.
Gore claims that the portrait that sparked so much controversy was created to “evoke a reaction from its audience, good or bad, about the significance we place on our physical selves”.
“I don’t believe I did anything wrong,” Gore told the Daily News. “It’s my work and I’ll stand by it no matter what.”
Words: Anita Klich