Welcome to the 146th insertion of DEMUR®, an analytical series highlighting the intricacies of the artistic world and the minutiae lying within. In this episode, we revisit Paul McCarthy's most controversial work, when an American artist pegged the French populous with some holiday humour.
Before 2014, Paul McCarthy was rather unknown. Described as a political critic and multi-media artist, the 69-year-old creative (nice) was invited to participate in France’s contemporary art fair, held at the capital in Paris. As per request, McCarthy was to craft a free-standing sculpture for the Place Vendôme, an energetic plaza in the city’s heart. With an opportunity to attract so many eyes, the artist began scheming, preparing to unveil a devious installation.
Titled ‘Tree’, McCarthy’s work would begin inflation on October 20th, 2014. At first, passerbys were confused by the sculpture's round edges and lime green hue, but would quickly notice the inflatable’s similarity to a butt plug. Standing tall at 79ft, the statue, which was approved by all respective art organizations, was simply impossible to ignore, inciting outrage from the surrounding populous.
In fact, when Paul McCarthy was questioned by a bystander if he was behind the work, the artist was slapped three times before running off, “He hit me in the head, hard…He was screaming that I insulted France, but that was never my intention,”. A few days later, a group would vandalize the statue in front of security, unhooking the air source before severing the supporting lines. As the controversy heated, right-wing social media groups would openly criticize McCarthy’s work online, prompting him to leave the statue deflated in fear of backlash.
Despite such a grotesque appearance, Paul McCarthy’s explanation depicts ‘Tree’ as an evaluation of consumer habits. Hailing Santa as the “god of consumerism”, his double entendre speaks to abstract views on Christmas, for buyers are often “fucked” by societal norms to demonstrate their affection in a monetary regard.
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