Category: Art Pranks

…or so numerous people believed before it was revealed to be a deftly executed hoax. Havidol (the brand name of generic drug avafynetyme) is an entirely nonexistent anti-depressant, the brainchild of artist Justine Cooper, but that hasn’t stopped it from being featured on numerous community-run websites that purport to inform the miserable masses about their options for psychopharmaceutical salvation. Cooper set out to skewer drug companies and their advertising that masquerades as unbiased consumer information. It’s just a bonus that she also shed light on how easy it is for well-meaning individuals to disseminate plausible but completely incorrect information in the name of providing a public service. – RF

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UNDERSTANDING HAVIDOL

HAVIDOL is for the treatment of Dysphoric Social Attention Consumption Deficit Anxiety Disorder (DSACDAD). It is the only known medication available for this newly recognized disorder.

Reuters video about the hoax campaign

Visiting George and Helen Spelvin”s modest house in Lenoir City, Tennessee, is like making a pilgrimage to a sacred temple of American Folk Art. While their neighbors purchased bass boats, home entertainment systems, recreational vehicles, and patio furniture, the Spelvins were quietly amassing a significant collection of contemporary folk art.

The Spelvins seldom purchased work through art galleries. Instead, they believed it was important to establish relationships with the artists whose work they acquired. As an agent for State Farm Insurance, George Spelvin loved to meet people and had a way of making the artists they encountered feel at ease. However, it was actually Helen Spelvin who was the driving force behind their collecting habits. Continue reading “The George and Helen Spelvin Folk Art Collection”