'Epstein is rolling in his grave laughing': Artist reveals why he photographed convicted paedophile - and Donald Trump

Andres Serrano says helium doesn't acceptable retired to beryllium a arguable creator - but he's surely proved to beryllium 1 during his career.

The 75-year-old New Yorker archetypal recovered fame (or infamy successful the eyes of his critics) with 1 of the astir notorious works of creation successful past - his 1987 photograph titled Piss Christ.

The depiction of a crucifix submerged successful urine led to protests denouncing the representation arsenic blasphemous - and it was vandalised portion connected show successful a French creation depository successful 2011.

"I don't bash enactment to beryllium controversial," helium tells Sky News. "I bash enactment that I consciousness similar I request to do.

"For immoderate reason, I've touched connected galore taste things that person go taste flashpoints."

Now, 2 of Serrano's astir high-profile and arguable subjects for his artwork are dominating headlines astir the world.

Serrano photographed Jeffrey Epstein for a representation successful 2019, 4 months earlier the paedophile financier was recovered dormant successful a situation compartment portion awaiting proceedings connected enactment trafficking charges. It is 1 of the past known images of Epstein, whose decease was ruled to beryllium suicide.

Years earlier, Serrano took a representation photograph of Donald Trump successful 2004 - the aforesaid twelvemonth the spot tycoon began starring connected The Apprentice TV series.

As Trump faces scrutiny over his past links to Epstein, and pressure to merchandise each files successful the enactment offender's case, Serrano offers a uncommon penetration into the 2 men.

Photographing Epstein

Serrano's representation of Epstein was "23 years successful the making", helium says, aft helium agreed to bash it successful speech for a sculpture the affluent collector owned that the creator had wanted since the mid-1990s.

At the time, Epstein was already a convicted enactment offender who had served clip successful jailhouse aft pleading blameworthy successful 2008 to soliciting prostitution from a minor.

Despite this, Serrano says helium didn't person reservations astir taking the photograph due to the fact that helium "wanted the statue" that Epstein owned.

Serrano believed the 16th period statue of the Virgin Mary should beryllium paired with 1 helium owned of St John.

"Jeffrey Epstein is rolling successful his sedate laughing astir however helium is inactive talked about," the creator says.

"He wasn't an absorbing guy. Except for being a paedophile, determination was thing astir him that should person made him truthful absorbing to truthful galore people."

Epstein 'collected people'

Serrano - who was archetypal introduced to Epstein successful the mid-90s - says helium and his woman had "a fewer meetings" with him and considered him to beryllium a "strange guy".

He says helium has "shocked" erstwhile helium learnt Epstein had been "exposed and indicted arsenic a paedophile".

"We ne'er saw that broadside of Epstein," helium says.

"To me, helium looked similar a feline who didn't person a occupation and was ever connected a abrogation having fun.

"I ne'er asked him astir wherever his wealth came from. I knew helium was precise rich. I besides knew helium knew a batch of people.

"Jeffrey Epstein did not cod creation but helium collected people. He made it his concern to cognize everybody, anybody who was a celebrity, famous, affluent - anyone with a reputation."

Serrano says helium doesn't "judge" the subjects of his photography, who person besides included members of the Ku Klux Klan, and helium was "happy" with the result of the Epstein portrait.

But however does helium deliberation Epstein's victims consciousness seeing the image?

"I don't spot however 1 happening has to bash with the other," helium replies.

"Does that mean the victims would consciousness amended looking astatine the representation of him successful the mugshot, which is simply a horrible picture?"

He adds: "Their instrumentality connected Jeffrey Epstein is precise antithetic from everyone else's. So they spot thing that we can't adjacent ideate what they see."

Photographing Trump

While Serrano believes Epstein was uninteresting, his sentiment of Trump couldn't beryllium much different.

He describes the US president arsenic "fascinating" - truthful overmuch truthful that helium collected much than 1,000 items linked to him for an creation installation called The Game: All Things Trump.

The objects, products and items of merchandise had been created for Trump's businesses and brands, including Trump Vodka, Trump University and adjacent Trump Steaks.

An 11ft-tall motion spelling the connection "Ego" from the Trump Taj Mahal edifice successful Atlantic City besides featured successful the display, on with Serrano's ain representation of Trump.

He calls the photograph "one of the champion portraits I've ever seen of Donald Trump", and reveals helium had a peculiar mode of moving with him - staying quiet.

"I didn't springiness him immoderate crushed to upset him," Serrano says.

"He sizes you up precise quickly. (I didn't privation to say) thing that would crook him disconnected oregon that would bore him oregon that would marque him successful immoderate mode privation to leave."

'Quiet' Trump 'tried to fig maine out'

Serrano says helium spent astir fractional an hr with Trump, who helium describes arsenic being "quiet" passim the process of having his representation photograph taken.

"I often similar to permission radical to their ain thoughts erstwhile I'm taking a portrait," the creator says.

"I similar to marque the benignant of portraits wherever it feels similar I'm not adjacent there. It's conscionable you, the spectator and the sitter.

"I deliberation helium was conscionable trying to fig maine out. And truthful since we didn't talk, you cognize it was conscionable a soundless speech betwixt us."

Read more:
All we cognize astir Trump and Epstein's 'friendship'
What's successful Epstein's 'birthday book'?

The creator won't reply straight erstwhile asked if helium is simply a Trump protagonist but calls him "the epitome of the American dream".

"I don't deliberation the creation satellite has ever taken Donald Trump earnestly but arsenic a taxable for ridicule," helium says.

"My cognition and my intent with Donald Trump was acold from that, due to the fact that I deliberation that's a precise simplistic mode of doing things.

"My presumption of him is that he's a truly astute guy.

"Whatever you deliberation astir him, you can't reason with the information that helium often gets his mode and I deliberation that's due to the fact that Donald Trump is persistent. He doesn't fto go. He's similar a pitbull who doesn't fto go."

'Epstein communicative volition beryllium buried'

Serrano besides took a representation photograph of Trump's erstwhile statesmanlike predetermination rival Kamala Harris for The New Yorker mag but says the circumstances were precise different.

"When I bash representation for a magazine… I'm blessed to bash for them but there's nary tegument successful the crippled for me," helium says.

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Despite the unit facing Trump to marque nationalist each files related to the Epstein case, Serrano believes "the communicative volition dice astatine immoderate point".

"It's benignant of similar the Kennedy assassination. People person been obsessed with conspiracy theories, theories astir John F Kennedy's assassination for years," helium says.

"It's a communicative that comes and goes, but I deliberation this communicative volition go.

"At immoderate point, possibly immoderate constituent soon, the Jeffrey Epstein communicative volition beryllium buried, on with Jeffrey Epstein."