Tom Cruise and an artist's depiction of the actor nudePhoto: Getty Images / Cory Allen Contemporary Art
An upcoming Tom Cruise art installation is as mysterious as it is bizarre.
It was announced Wednesday that a giant Cruise shroud and commemorative medals will be unveiled in tribute to the actor’s 25-year involvement with the Church of Scientology — but the controversial religion claims to have no part in the spectacle.
The 14-foot-by-3-foot shroud — which depicts a very well-endowed nude likeness of the 53-year-old — and medals featuring his profile were created by artist Daniel Edwards and will be displayed next month at a “pop-up Church of Scientology” near the organization’s Clearwater, Florida, headquarters, the artist says.
But a spokesperson for the church denied any involvement in the project, telling Page Six that it’s a “publicity stunt and any claim to the contrary is false.”
“I think [the Church of Scientology] are masters at publicity,” Edwards responded. “It’s an acknowledgment to [Cruise’s] 25-year commitment to Scientology. He hasn’t been able to stay committed to three different marriages, so for him to be committed to something so deeply, it must be pretty important.”
Edwards, an American sculptor who denied any ties to the Church of Scientology, isknown for controversial celebrity pieces. Past works include a nude statue of Britney Spears in labor and a topless bust of Hillary Clinton.
The artist explained the pieces were not his brainchild but is keeping mum on exactly who commissioned the Cruise works.
“I’m just a hired hand,” explained Edwards. “I was requested to make this piece, but I’m kind of waiting for the other parties to come forward, although I’m not sure that’s ever really going to happen. I always assumed there was a connection [between the church and those who commissioned the piece].”
The artist went on to detail the warnings he received in creating the art: “I never felt like I got any closer to the religion or any understanding of it through the whole process. I’m still very much an outsider. People are always saying I’d better watch out, but people are afraid of them, I guess.”
Reaction to the shroud’s detailed depiction of Cruise’s impressively sized genitaliaresonated across the Internet this week. The Indiana-born artist insists he hoped other areas of the piece would be the primary focus.
“I felt that he’s being depicted proportionately and I’m not sure what to make of it,” said Edwards.
Future plans for the art remain unclear after its month-long installation, but the Cory Allen Contemporary Art gallery anticipates taking orders for duplicates of the medal.
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