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Pirate Party Photograph Portfolio
Pirate Party Photograph Portfolio

Pirate Party Photograph Portfolio

Artist (Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, 1945)
Artist (Born in Los Angeles, California, 1973)
Date2005
MediumChromogenic print
DimensionsImage: 13 1/4 x 19 15/16 inches (33.7 x 50.6 cm)
Sheet: 14 1/4 x 20 15/16 inches (36.2 x 53.2 cm)
ClassificationsPhotograph
Credit LineGift of Blake Byrne, A.B.’57
Object number2017.4.23.47
Collections
  • PHOTOGRAPHY
  • ART OF THE UNITED STATES
  • MODERN & CONTEMPORARY
Edition10 + 2 AP
State5
Label TextPaul McCarthy is widely known for his transgressive performance art, questioning American social conventions and testing the emotional limits of both audience and artist. A critical analyst of mass media and consumer-driven American society, McCarthy probes the icons and stereotypes of western culture and its entertainment industry. He frequently collaborates with his son, Damon McCarthy, on performative video installations - Paul acting as performer and director and Damon as cinematographer and editor.

Inspired by the Disney theme park ride "Pirates of the Caribbean," this series examines various incarnations of the pirate figure as a myth of American popular culture, including its proliferation and reception by the media and the public. McCarthy highlights the pirate as a symbol of invasion, plunder, and destruction - as desperados who venture to unknown regions to engage unseen in thievery and torture. By turning mainstream entertainment on its head, McCarthy offers a powerful critique of global capitalism and societal norms.