Paul McCarthy's more seious side
Polly: This week I was checking out the reviews section of Frieze and came across a man you have all have heard of, Paul McCarthy. You might remember his work 'Blockhead' a massive square headed black doll that he plonked out the front of the TATE Modern in 2003. It seems I've found McCarthy's more serious side..
I was reading about the 4th Berlin Biennial, which featured various artists but his installation strung the heart chords for me. Although 'Bang-Bang Room' was one of his earlier works (1992) it couldn't have been more appropriate for such an exhibition venue. In The former Jewish School for Girls, which was re-opened for the first time in ten years to showcase McCarthy's work. A set of four walls all of which open and close freely, with doors set in the centre that swing open and close. A simple motorised mechanism - dead basic - and yet this conceptual artwork doesn't fail to put a chill down my spine in the eerie reference to the history behind the building it stands and the idea of brutal/organised/cold-blooded destruction. Adding to this there were infact metal detectors at the entrance of the school, a reminder of how charged the place still is.
Frieze [May 2006] pg 165
posted by Polly Dance at 10:28 PM
2 Comments:
ray says: paul McCarthey is a seriously wierd dude. i have a book from the library about his performance work,very very strange indeed. and thats only looking at little pictures of it. he's given that up now and seems like he does bit less way out there works now.
andrew: he's always been pretty serious, molestation isn't very 'lite'. and i think still plenty out there for most - royalty having things stuffed down their throats is not your average fare (not on the stamps, anyway)
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