Despite all the spectacles at this year’s Scope Art Show, Donald Trump is still causing a stir.

Shortly after the fair opened to the public yesterday, Miami-based art dealer Lindsay Kotler removed a piece depicting the president-elect from her booth’s group showcase. The work, Huge (2019), is a hallmark specimen by artist Shyglo, who paints black and white portraits of pop culture stars with neon script over their eyes. Another Shyglo piece featuring Jimi Hendrix reads “Haze.” Kobe Bryant’s says “Mamba.” Although Trump’s inclusion places him in rarefied company, it’s hard to tell whether the work takes any stance of support or opposition. The portrait is at once flattering, and not.

Footage of Kotler removing Huge made the Instagram rounds, accompanied by allegations that Scope censored Kotler, Shyglo, and Trump supporters writ large. In a statement provided via email today, Scope said its demand stemmed from contracts, not politics. Kotler did not include this painting amongst her booth proposal, as the fair requires.

“Scope Art Show is a steadfast champion of freedom of expression and has never asked a gallery to remove a work based on political or personal views in its 23-year history,” the team wrote. “L. Kotler Fine Art is one of at least 40 other galleries that were asked to rehang or remove artworks that weren’t part of their original accepted proposal.”

Installation view of Huge (2019), next to an aluminum artwork by Michael Staniak. Photo: L. Kotler Fine Art.

Over Instagram, Shyglo told me this work was slipped in after L. Kotler Fine Art pre-sold a few of his works from the gallery’s original lineup before the fair. Since he’s shown at Scope for the past three years, “the gallery didn’t expect it to be an issue.”

“Most of the art in my booth wasn’t part of my original curation,” Kotler added separately, over email. “This was the only artwork that was singled out and demanded to be removed immediately.”

At the fair, Kotler recalled receiving an message late Tuesday evening from Scope director Hayley River Smith saying the artwork had to come down, “referring to [the painting] not by its title or the artist but as the ‘Trump’ painting.” Kotler only noticed that email the following day. She couldn’t take advantage of the free storage Scope offered on-site, since she didn’t have a crate handy.

An Instagram story recording Kotler removing the artwork. Photo: L. Kotler Fine Art.

“I did not initially take it down during the opening because I genuinely didn’t want to remove the piece, and at first, I thought their concerns were more of a lighthearted comment,” Kotler wrote.

“The director and their team repeatedly came to my booth, demanding the painting’s removal and confronting me in a manner that created a public scene,” she continued. “This occurred in full view of clients and show attendees, some of whom began documenting the incident and sharing it on social media.”

An Instagram story depicting Michael Staniak’s art alone on the wall after Huge was removed. Photo: L. Kotler Fine Art.

In its statement, Scope also noted the fair “has never cited the work’s content as the reason for its removal, so any suggestion otherwise is completely baseless and an attempt to sensationalize.” When asked whether she chose to remove the artwork after the fair opened to increase visibility, Kotler replied, “No.”

Now, L. Kotler Fine Art is selling Huge via auction. Earlier today, bidding was at $20,000. The work originally cost $8,500.

“It wasn’t intended to offend, it was meant to engage,” Shyglo told me of Huge. “To have it silenced felt like a loss of the very purpose of art.”