Among the five scenes chalked on the 17-foot high walls of the galleries, one depicts an empty ballroom with a swinging chandelier composed of knotted nooses. Another depicts a vacant throne. A wrecked pirate ships fills another wall, while on yet another the cartoon signifier of a rebounding arrow fills the picture plane. Only one contains a figure, a lone flute player against a starry night sky. These drawings need to be seen to be experienced.
Photo courtesy the Collection of the Center for Creative Photography.
Reframing America is the third and last installment in this landmark collaborative series. The five photographic works of Paul McCarthy on view here date from 1970 -1974. Although McCarthy is well known for his performance work, his sculpture, and his photography, these early pieces present the more conceptual side of his practice. These are all sequential black and white pieces based on observing a particular event in many ways. Included in this exhibition is a photographic sequence that presents McCarthy using his body to make his paintings.