Tree (installation)

Inflatable sculpture by Paul McCarthy

Tree

Artist| Paul McCarthy
Completion date| October 2014
Dimensions| 24 m (79 ft)
Condition| Destroyed; removed
Location| Paris
Coordinates| 48°52′03″N 2°19′46″E﻿ / ﻿48.8675°N 2.3294°E﻿ / 48.8675; 2.3294

Tree was a controversial 24-metre (79 ft) high inflatable sculpture by the artist Paul McCarthy that was briefly installed in the Place Vendôme in Paris in October 2014[1] as part of a Paris International Contemporary Art Fair (FIAC) exhibition called "Hors les murs".[2]

Although officially described as a Christmas tree, it was widely criticized for its similarity in appearance to a huge green butt plug.[3][4] McCarthy admitted that it was deliberately shaped as such as a joke.[5]

The controversy over the sculpture led to McCarthy being assaulted and the sculpture being vandalized only two days after its installation; a vandal climbed the fencing around it and cut the power supply which kept it inflated, in addition to cutting the cords holding it up. McCarthy stated that he did not want the work repaired or replaced.[6][7]

The attention given to the sculpture brought a boom in sales of real butt plugs in Paris: a sex shop owner reported that he usually sold 50 per month predominantly to gay men, but in November 2014 sold over 1,000 roughly divided equally between men and women.[8]

In 2016 he again exhibited Tree at Paramount Ranch 3 in the Santa Monica Mountains, where the reception was positive and visitors "reveled in its absurdist glory".[9]

## See also

[edit]

* Brussels Christmas tree, abstract Christmas tree which caused controversy in 2012
* Santa Claus, or colloquially Buttplug gnome, sculpture in Rotterdam.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Paris 'sex toy' sculpture raises storm". BBC News. 2014-10-17.
2. ^ Alexander Forbes (October 17, 2014). "Paul McCarthy Beaten Up over Butt Plug Sculpture". Artnet.
3. ^ "US artist erects giant green 'butt plug' in Paris". France24. 2014-10-17.
4. ^ Jardonnet, Emmanuelle (17 October 2014). "McCarthy agressé pour l'érection d'un arbre de Noël ambigu, place Vendôme". Le Monde (in French).
5. ^ Chazan, David (18 October 2014). "Vandals deflate giant 'sex toy' sculpture in Paris". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
6. ^ "Paris's giant 'butt plug' installation vandalised". France24. 2014-10-18.
7. ^ "Paris flustered erection sex toy sculpture". NY Daily News. 2014-10-18.
8. ^ Mulholland, Rory (2 December 2014). "Parisians snap up 'butt plugs' after 'Tree' scandal". The Local. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
9. ^ "Big Collectors Head to Paramount Ranch 3". artnet News. 2016-01-31. Retrieved 2020-05-14.

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Christmas trees

Cultivation|

* Christmas tree cultivation
* Christmas tree pests and weeds

Production|

* Canadian production
* Danish production
* Global production
* Mexican production
* U.S. production

Artificial|

* Artificial Christmas tree
* Aluminum Christmas tree
* Feather Christmas tree
* Pre-lit tree

Decorations|

* Candy cane
* Christmas ornament
* Christmas lights
* Garland
* Pickle
* Pleated Christmas hearts
* Shiny Brite ornaments
* Spider and/or web
* Szaloncukor
* Tinsel
* Tree-topper

Individual trees|

* Anthem
* Boston
* California Capitol
* Chicago
* Grand Place (Brussels)
* Downing Street (London)
* Grove (L.A.)
* I-17 (Arizona)
* Lisbon (Portugal)
* Macy's (Atlanta)
* Milwaukee
* Mount Ingino (Italy)
* Norwegian Christmas Tree (Washington, D.C.)
* U.S. Capitol
* U.S. National Tree
* Rockefeller Center
* Sri Lanka
* Toledo (Ohio) Zoo
* Trafalgar Square (London)
* Tree (Paris)
* Vatican
* White House (Washington D.C)
* Wisconsin Capitol

Trade groups|

* American Christmas Tree Association
* British Christmas Tree Growers Association
* Canadian Christmas Tree Growers Association
* Christmas Tree Promotion Board
* Danish Christmas Tree Growers Association
* National Christmas Tree Association

Other topics|

* Chichilaki
* Christmas tree stand
* Festive ecology
* Hanukkah bush
* Podłaźniczka
* Festivus pole
* Rouse Simmons
* Singing Christmas Tree
* Tree baler

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