If you’re of the mindset that the stuffy world of art needs more irreverent pranksters, you’re going to like Paul McCarthy. From bizarrely extreme performances, to disturbing installation works and outrageous public sculptures, McCarthy pokes fun at American popular culture and consumerism whilst shocking and entertaining his audience. Here are our favorite highlights from his very strange career:

• A 1976 performance piece called Class Fool had McCarthy banging about a UC Davis classroom so violently he made himself dizzy and caused injuries to himself whilst also splattering ketchup everywhere, ruining the room. He then vomited and stuffed a Barbie doll up his rear end. The performance then ended because nobody wanted to watch it anymore, obviously.


• A public sculpture of Santa Claus he made in the Netherlands drew outrage from some, but is now called affectionately by many the “Buttplug Gnome.”


• Another large public sculpture he made looks like an enormous (51 foot tall!), pile of poop.  Aptly titled Complex Shit, and later, Complex Pile. In 2008 it blew away from its site in Switzerland, brought down a power line, and caused other property damage.  No one seemed to mind, as we were treated to amazing newspaper headlines like, “Turd on the Run” and, “Complex Shit Wreaks Havoc in Berne.” 


• Just last year the fecal bounce house-looking monstrosity got free again, this time during a storm in Hong Kong.  Our favorites from the more recent incident include, “McCarthy Drops a Giant Poop on Hong Kong,” and “Sudden Downpour Takes the Wind out of Poop Art.”