Mike Kelley and Paul McCarthy

Published in 2000 by The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery in Toronto, this volume serves as the primary exhibition catalog for the joint showcase of American artists Mike Kelley and Paul McCarthy. The exhibition brought together two of the most influential figures in contemporary performance and installation art, known for their visceral, subversive explorations of American culture, psychological repression, and the abject. Philip Monk, the curator of the exhibition, provides critical analysis that contextualizes their shared interest in the darker undercurrents of the suburban experience and the collapse of societal norms.

The book design reflects the raw, confrontational aesthetic associated with both artists, prioritizing heavy visual documentation of their collaborative and individual works from the late 20th century. By juxtaposing their respective styles, the publication examines the dialogue between Kelley’s sculptural, often toy-based critique of memory and McCarthy’s hyper-performative, grotesque parodies of media and authority. The catalog was well received by the academic and contemporary art community as a foundational resource for understanding the intellectual bridge between these two distinct but philosophically aligned provocateurs.