Book Description
American artist Paul McCarthy (b. 1945) is internationally acclaimed for his inventive installations and video and performance pieces, many of which use iconic imagery taken from childhood and popular culture combined with sexually charged and transgressive elements. In summer 2003, McCarthy is installing two enormous inflatable sculptures, Blockhead and Daddies Bighead, outside Tate Modern, London.
Blockhead revisits one of McCarthy's trademark characters, a mutant cartoon character with a Pinocchio nose emerging from its cuboid head. More than 110 feet high, the inflatable sculpture is hollow, allowing public access to a vending machine selling uniquely branded candy. Daddies Bighead, over 50 feet high, consists of a body that is a giant replica of a ketchup bottle and a head that McCarthy describes as "the head of the patriarchal tower, a penis tower bottle."
McCarthy sees books as an integral part of his work, and this new volume includes dramatic installation photography, working drawings, and maquettes, as well as a new interview with the artist.
About the author
Frances Morris is senior curator at Tate Modern. Sarah Glennie is projects curator for the Henry Moore Foundation Contemporary Projects. David Thorp is curator for the Henry Moore Foundation Contemporary Projects.
