And the Oscar Goes to ... Hell With Needle in Arm

Forget the Oscar tribute to dead actors during the show ... a famous artist decided to pay homage (of sorts) to Philip Seymour Hoffman outside the auditorium by sculpting an Oscar strung out on smack.

The street artist -- who goes by Plastic Jesus -- has notoriously made a name for himself in L.A., and he's just found a way to tap into the heart of Hollywood.

P.J. says he wants to make a point that it's not just famous celebs who die of heroin ... drugs kill people in the show biz industry every week.