If you’ve ever wanted to see the heads of political and pop culture icons put on the bodies of famous Star Wars characters, then Michael Leavitt’s ‘Empire Peaks’ exhibit is for you. And if you’ve never wanted to see that, it’s pretty cool to see regardless.
By turning well known figures such as Kim Jong Il, Che Guevara, Darwin, Einstein, Gandi, Abraham Lincoln, Barack Obama, Michael Jackson and Steve Jobs into consumer products based on the popular franchise; Leavitt hopes to explore such themes as idol worship, our coveting of mass-produced collectibles and our societies need for heroes, rebels, villains and tyrants.
The statues are fully articulated and range in size from 8-inches to 40-inches. The ‘Empire Peaks’ exhibit will be held until December 21st at the Jonathan LeVine Gallery in New York.
Space Opera Political Figurines
The Empire Peaks Fuses Star Wars Characters with Political Figures
Trend Themes
1. Pop Culture-politics Mashup - Exploring themes of idol worship through the creation of consumer products that combine iconic figures from both politics and pop culture.
2. Mass-produced Collectibles - Creating a new market of highly-articulated, large-scale figurines that appeal to both fans of pop culture and collectors of political memorabilia.
3. Cultural Commentary Through Art - Using sculpture art to address societal themes of hero worship, tyranny, and rebellion as displayed through the figurines in the exhibit.
Industry Implications
1. Collectibles - The creation of high-quality, large-scale, articulated figurines that merge pop culture and politics creates new opportunities within the collectibles industry for fans and political collectors alike.
2. Fine Arts - The exhibit showcases the use of sculpture as a medium for cultural commentary, creating opportunities for new artists to explore political and societal themes through their work.
3. Entertainment - The merging of pop culture and politics in the exhibit provides new opportunities for the entertainment industry to expand the Star Wars franchise and appeal to fans who also have a strong interest in politics and historical figures.