American artist Paul McCarthy transforms the mundane and familiar through provocative and, at times, violent imagery. He aims to critique the values, beliefs, and images we might hold dear or take for granted, often drawing inspiration from politics, philosophy, and popular culture. His expansive repertoire spans performance, video, sculpture, and painting, seeking to break from the limitation of choosing one medium over another. Basking in discomfort, McCarthy’s work transgresses the lines between the haunting and humorous, reality and fantasy. Paul Dreaming, Vertical, Horizontal, 2005–2012, a sculpture in Glenstone’s collection, is a self-portrait of the artist rendered in hyperreal silicone at life-size scale.

–Tan Tran, from the Glenstone Field Guide