Jesse James
It’s hard to believe that MTV is celebrating its 40th anniversary. In order to celebrate, the company has partnered with artist, Kehinde Wiley, to reimagine the iconic Moon Person trophy. Wiley is the third person to offer a new take on the iconic trophy, joining KAWS, the first to do it in 2013, and Jeremy Scott in 2015.
The artist is known for his naturalistic portraiture that depicts Black subjects set against art historical settings. His Obama Portraits were commissioned by the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery before going on a five-city tour. MTV spoke about the redesigned Moon Person trophy with Rolling Stone. The company stated: “The design features botanical vines seamlessly flowing up and around the figure’s legs, body, and arms as a commentary on the ethnic histories that surround America. Each intertwined vine or leaf has a different historical relevance, such as the seeds from African slaves that are woven into the American tapestry. The sculpture complements Wiley’s forthcoming series of portraits, in which he plans to create paintings featuring his subjects lying on their sides as vines encircle their bodies.”
The redesigned trophy will be accompanied by a life-size replica that will be on view for guests at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The new trophy is set to be awarded at this year’s Video Music Awards on September 12th.
Check out the design in the up top and find out more from MTV. In the meantime, keep it locked with The Culture Curators for more entertainment news coming very soon.
Photos via MTV
