An American contemporary artist whose work spans performance, film, and sculpture, McCarthy frequently makes fun of polite society, ridicules authority, and takes aim at cherished American myths and icons through the mixing of high and low culture. The human body—always present in his work, whether in action, caricature, or erotic situations—is an important vehicle for shock and amusement for McCarthy.
His work has been shown in major exhibitions at California College of the Arts, Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts, San Francisco (2009); Whitney Museum of American Art, New York (2008); Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst, Ghent (2007); Moderna Museet, Stockholm (2006); and Haus der Kunst, Munich (2005), among others. McCarthy has also participated in international events including the Berlin Biennial (2006), Whitney Biennial (1995, 1997, 2004), and the Venice Biennale (1993, 1999, 2001).
McCarthy originally created the drawings for this collaboration for the 2017 Women’s March, which was organized in protest of US President Donald Trump’s inauguration. THE SKATEROOM worked with the Hauser & Wirth Gallery for this Collaboration. The editions for this second collaboration with Paul McCarthy fund the operational costs of Skateistan’s Skate School in Johannesburg, South Africa. The first collaboration raised $200,000 to fund the Skate School’s construction through McCarthy’s PROPO editions.
