A Kentucky State Fair entry in the miniatures exhibit was deemed too ‘inappropriate’ and was removed from display.
The Kentucky State Fair, now in its 120th year, is being held from 15 August to 25 August at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Kentucky.
Miniature artist Preston Poling, also known as ‘The Bearded Miniaturist,’ submitted four entries to the fair. However, one entry did not sit well with the organizers and was ultimately taken down.
On Instagram on Wednesday (21 August), Poling posted a photo of one of his entries and wrote: “Just a warning, if you were planning on going to the Kentucky State Fair to enjoy my exhibit please wait. I’ve had several messages informing me that it isn’t there. I’m not sure if it was stolen or moved or REMOVED or what.
“No one has reached out to me to let me know anything, it’s just….gone. Stay tuned for more info.”
The following day, Poling shared a video on Instagram where he took his followers on a tour of the fair to show his four builds. Upon reaching the first design, a caption appeared on the screen stating: “12 hours later it was deemed ‘inappropriate’ and removed from the fair.”
This raises the question: how could a miniature model be so offensive?
The entry, titled ‘The Casting Couch,’ depicted an office room complete with a miniature sofa, desk, desk chair, camera, and computer, with the door shut and blinds drawn.
The controversy did not stem from the miniature itself but from its implication, referencing the casting couch—a term for casting directors who abuse their power by demanding sexual favors from actors in exchange for roles.
After discovering his piece was missing on Tuesday, Poling informed WDRB the next morning that he involved ‘the state troopers at the fair’.
That’s when he learned about the potential consequences he faced due to the controversial piece.
He stated: “Apparently the fair board was considering stripping all of my awards for this year and disqualifying them completely as an artist.”
Lexie Ratterman, Senior Communications Manager for Kentucky Venues, commented: “Entries submitted to the fair are routinely reviewed throughout the event and the entry in question has been removed from display at this time.”
Poling defended his piece, saying it was intended as a ‘tongue-in-cheek joke’ and was created to be an identical replica of a well-known concept. “The joke’s not on the judges. The joke isn’t on people who are offended by this. The joke is to submit something that you either get or you don’t get,” he explained.
Fortunately, the removal did not affect Poling’s other entries, and he won ribbons for two other pieces.
He mentioned: “The superintendent of the fair board asked me to use a little sensitivity in the future because some things might be controversial.”
The artist plans to exhibit the controversial piece in his studio at Mellwood Arts Center instead.