Paul McCarthy
DD #1
DD #1
$450,000
2020 – 2023
Silicone
Unique in a series of 5 + 2 AP
63.5 x 55.9 x 55.9 cm / 25 x 22 x 22 in
‘DD #1’ (2020 – 2023) is rooted in Paul McCarthy’s exploration of Disney as a commercial entity and its gripping effect on society. A theme that has penetrated the artist’s practice over the last several years, McCarthy’s exploration of Disney’s saccharine tales and their reflection of contemporary culture has developed through various iterations and media: first in numerous series of drawings, then in sculptures, performance and video, and culminating in an epic multi-narrative installation, ‘WS White Snow.’
In ‘DD #1,’ McCarthy expands upon his ‘WS White Snow’ project. The artist presents the viewer with two characters drawn from different Disney animations: Daisy Duck and Dopey. Placed upon a bed of artificial flowers, McCarthy renders the entire piece, from blooms to figures, in a silver silicone that recalls the coldness of stone rather than vibrant, playful colors of Disney. Beak open, Daisy Duck holds a bird in the palm of one hand and lifts the skirt of her dress with the other. Portrayed armless and kneeling, Dopey slyly glances up Daisy’s gown, a wide smile spreading across his cheeks, while the rabbit looks off into the distance, paws together and ears perked.
‘‘I often explain my work by saying that my art is a mirror with a crack; that’s a simplification and maybe a cliché. It’s mirroring or regurgitating through Paul.’’—Paul McCarthy [1]
Often humorous and sardonic, McCarthy’s practice challenges societal norms, mining the psychological implications of cultural representation and the American Dream. Using a coterie of Disney characters as both a vehicle and a cultural touchstone, McCarthy examines the darker underpinnings of consumerism as an initiation of innocence into a culture of desire and fetishism. By adding a distinctly sexualized undercurrent to ‘DD #1,’ the artist upends traditional conceptions of Disney as a paragon of virtue and an avatar of childlike innocence. Additionally, McCarthy’s use of Daisy Duck recalls his film ‘DADDA Donald and Daisy Duck Adventure’ (2018) in which McCarthy inhabits a Trumpian buffoon character, calling attention to the perverse reality of contemporary American politics and culture through depravity.
‘‘Disney has something to do with the future. It’s a virtual space, not unlike the Acropolis. The Disney characters, the environment, the aesthetic are so refined, the relationships so perfect. It’s the invention of a world. A Shangri-La that is directly connected to a political agenda, a type of prison that you are seduced into visiting.’’—Paul McCarthy [2]
Paul McCarthy is widely considered to be one of the most influential and groundbreaking contemporary American artists. Born in 1945, and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, he first established a multi-faceted artistic practice, which sought to break the limitations of painting by using unorthodox materials such as bodily fluids and food. He has since become known for visceral, often hauntingly humorous work in a variety of mediums—from performance, photography, film and video, to sculpture, drawing and painting.