Originally stemming from McCarthy and his son Damon’s fascination with Disneyland’s ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ theme park attraction, the selection of works includes sculpture, drawing, video and photography, and explores the complex universe of the pirate theme.
McCarthy’s ‘pirate world’ offers an allegory of society, focusing on a range of unrestrained behaviours or forms of resistance: from unbridled greed, rampant commercialisation and social pretension to sadism, perversion, anarchism and corruption. Two decades after its inception, the work continues to be relevant in the context of current global conflicts for the way it addresses the links between violence, depravity and masculinity.
The artistic practice McCarthy has developed is transgressive, seeking to parody social hierarchies and cultural conventions and challenge the canon of art. Painting – especially the strong sense of American symbolism and machismo associated with Abstract Expressionism – was originally a target that McCarthy confronted by using, or evoking, unorthodox materials such as bodily fluids and foodstuffs. He has since become known for his visceral, often subversively humorous work in a wide range of media.
Find out more about the new Paul McCarthy ‘Pirates Stew Pot’ exhibition