Polly Borland
To kick off our annual Oscars Issue, The Hollywood Reporter commissioned 11 leading artists — spanning North America, from L.A. to Guadalajara to New York City — to reinterpret the iconic Oscar statuette in paintings, drawings, sculptures, conceptual photography and performance. Their multimedia works, exclusively on display on these pages, will also be the subject of a special Oscar Week exhibition at the Jeffrey Deitch Gallery in Hollywood, opening March 9. We asked each artist to give their own version of an Academy Awards speech, with a behind-the-scenes look at what inspired their glittering creations. As Kenny Scharf, the Los Angeles native whose art has defined New York City since the ’80s, succinctly puts it: “I want to thank everyone who ever helped me. Oh, it’s not for me. Byyeeee …” Shortest acceptance speech ever!
Polly Borland
I love awards shows. I’m not sure why, because I know they are designed to feed the capitalist machine — it’s really about selling product — but I love the thrill of winning and watching someone experiencing that thrill. If I was asked to design a statue for the Oscars, this would be it. The contortions within the form capture how women are sewn into their dresses, and the excruciating thrills and heightened self-consciousness I would experience in this moment, all wrapped up in glitter and gold.