Billie Lawless. The Politician: A Toy. 1995. Cleveland. photographed 18 November 2011
This has been a mobile work. photographed 5 August 2020
Then emperor, er uh mayor of Cleveland, Michael White was not pleased. In the near past, the Free Stamp sculpture by Claes Oldenburg was finally allowed a place. Sohio (Amoco) had commissioned it, and when Amoco was purchased by British Petroleum, they and the George Forbes (City Council Leader) did not want it. After nine years it found a home, next to City Hall.
Billie Lawless created the giant electrical toy in 1995, and it ended up in 1996 kitty korner to a firehouse on Chester in an abandoned lot. In 2009 it was on the campus of Cleveland State, further downtown on Chester. Part of the sculpture is wording that can be changed. He changed the wording in 2018, and Cleveland State was not pleased, and covered up the wording The new wording alluded to a vulgar remark made by Donald the Trump. Lawless referred to his contract, and sued citing free speech. The work was moved onto his property in 2019, after he won the suit.
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