Artist erects 20-foot-tall pro-Trump art installation on Staten Island front lawn
MEIERS CORNERS, Staten Island (WABC) -- Conservative artist Scott LoBaido first made headlines in 2016 when he constructed a 12-foot-tall Pro-Trump "T," and somebody set it on fire.
That hasn't stopped LoBaido from erecting a "HUUUGE" new pro-Trump installation on a client's front lawn on Harris Avenue in Staten Island. This time, it's 20-feet-tall -- and lights up at night.
The new installation, depicting a muscular President Donald Trump hovering over a red-white-and-blue "2020," sits well with this very pro-Trump enclave of the predominantly blue New York City.
Even so, given 2018's political climate, LoBaido said the owner of the Harris Avenue home doesn't want to take chances.
"He put up security cameras all around the house. We have a fence here. And everybody in the neighborhood is on watch," he said.
Like it or not, LoBaido said the installation is a proud expression of his First Amendment rights.
"Here's my display to provoke emotion ... and they love it," he said.
"They" includes neighbor Joe Noga. When asked if the installation was too big, he responded, "I think a little bigger would be better. Taller!"
But some, like Jack Bender, aren't as enthusiastic.
"It's not intruding in my life," he said. "It's just sort of there, and for me, it's weird."
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