Paul McCarthy
An American fever dream
“It’s always been this thing of looking at the underbelly of western culture – and the horror of its results."
Paul McCarthy concocts a twisted American Dream like no other. He weaves sculpture, film and installation into exquisitely constructed scenarios. Throughout, there are nods to all corners of society – from Disney and Donald Trump, to pornography and war. In the 1970s McCarthy became known for his performances and videos. These early works launched McCarthy into the limelight where, through a process of non-stop reinvention, he’s remained ever since. Bossy Burger (1991) saw the artist smearing ketchup and mayonnaise all over himself. Painter (1995) is a 50-minute-long spoof of the art world’s u...
Paul McCarthy concocts a twisted American Dream like no other. He weaves sculpture, film and installation into exquisitely constructed scenarios. Throughout, there are nods to all corners of society – from Disney and Donald Trump, to pornography and war. In the 1970s McCarthy became known for his performances and videos. These early works launched McCarthy into the limelight where, through a process of non-stop reinvention, he’s remained ever since. Bossy Burger (1991) saw the artist smearing ketchup and mayonnaise all over himself. Painter (1995) is a 50-minute-long spoof of the art world’s underbelly.
Over the decades, McCarthy’s art has transformed to combine current affairs and enduring concerns. No matter what he makes, he pushes it to the extreme – questioning societal taste and spotlighting its hypocrisy. For example, a large walnut wood sculpture sees Snow White suggestively swallow the head of a dwarf. Elsewhere, Tree (2014) takes the form of a 25-metre tall inflatable butt plug. When shown in Paris, it was promptly deflated by outraged members of the public. Ludicrous and lewd, there’s no doubt that McCarthy's art is controversial. Controversy, however, is not his intention. Instead, he sees it as an inevitable byproduct of making work that acts as a mirror to society’s vulgar truth.
Paul McCarthy (he/him) was born in 1945 in Utah, USA. He now lives and works in Los Angeles.
Paul McCarthy is a hugely influential artist – courting controversy and critical acclaim in equal measure since the 1970s. He's known for satirical artworks in an ever-growing variety of mediums and formats.
To make art McCarthy has used everything from bronze and plastic to ketchup, chocolate and faeces. Early in his career such choices emerged from financial constraints. Since, they have come to align closely with the conceptual framework of his practice.
