…Exploring the role of the prankster as artist, activist and social observer and the significance of the prank in society.
Why you don’t take your guillotine to a gun fight…
Man arrested after guillotine is found in pickup truck near Capitol, by Kyle Stewart and Raquel Coronell Uribe, NBC News, August 25, 2026.
In 2024, Joey Skaggs’ New York City Annual April Fools’ Day Parade featured “Democracy at the Guillotine” on a mobile billboard truck, therefore avoiding a showdown with the law.
Don’t drop the soap!
A Statue of Trump and Epstein Re-enacting ‘Titanic’ Pose Appears on National Mall, by Ashley Ahn, The New York Times, March 12, 2026
The installation is the latest in a series of satirical statues created by an anonymous group of artists called the Secret Handshake.
A gold-colored statue inspired by the “Titanic” pose has appeared on the National Mall — but instead of portraying Jack supporting Rose from behind as she pretends to fly, it depicts President Trump and the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
A plaque at the statue’s base read: “The tragic love story between Jack and Rose was built on luxurious travel, raucous parties, and secret nude sketches. This monument honors the bond between Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, a friendship seemingly built on luxurious travel, raucous parties and secret nude sketches.”
The statue, which appeared Tuesday and shows Mr. Trump gazing at Mr. Epstein as he held his outstretched arms, is the latest in a series of satirical statues that have appeared in Washington since October 2024, just before the presidential election. Many of the installations, including this one influenced by the movie “Titanic” and Mr. Trump’s friendship with Epstein, were created by an anonymous group of artists called The Secret Handshake. Read the whole article here.
“Away in a manger, no crib for a bed, the little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head…”
and then…
and then…
and then…
Along came Skaggs with his 1968 anti-war art protest, “Vietnamese Christmas Nativity Burning.”
There’s no greater pleasure than watching something grow. This time from seeds to art.
Sowing Discord at Minnesota’s Seed Art Competition, by Isabella Segalovich, Hyperallergic, September 5, 2023
At the Minnesota State Fair, some crop artists promoted timely political messages with corn, quinoa, and flax seeds.
SAINT PAUL, Minn. — The longest line at the second biggest state fair in the United States wasn’t for the prize cows, roller coaster rides, or various deep-fried foods served on a stick: It was for the seed art.
The wait was worth it. Past scores of vintage seed sacks and neatly stacked corn cobs vying for Best of Show ribbons, visitors craned their necks to marvel at the bounty of intricate mosaics made completely out of seeds at the Minnesota State Fair, which ran from August 24 to September 4. While the vast majority of participating crop artists were Minnesotans, the country’s only state fair seed art competition has also graciously expanded its dozens of categories to include out-of-state competitors, as long as they stick to one rule: Every seed must be grown in Minnesota.
I was struck not just by this craft’s painstaking nature but also by the diversity of its subject matter, which ranges from impressive portraits and still lifes to timely pop culture references and biting political commentary. This year’s show included tributes to lost luminaries (Judy Heumann, Paul Reubens aka Pee Wee Herman), hot pink Barbie memorabilia, OceanGate (“the little sub that couldn’t”), excitement over Minnesota’s marijuana legalization, displays of support for trans youth and adults, clap backs to Ron DeSantis (“Minnesota, where woke goes to bloom!”), and lots and lots of yacht-smashing orcas. Read the rest of the article here.
Here’s a creative prescription for managing your medical bills.
Oversized hospital bill paintings sold to pay off medical debts, by Oscar Holland, CNN, October 5, 2020
An art collective has come up with a novel way of paying off three people’s medical debt: turning their hospital bills into huge paintings and selling them to collectors for thousands of dollars.
New York-based MSCHF, which is known for its irreverent art projects, identified Americans with sizable medical debt, including one with a bill for over $47,000. The group then hand-painted the invoices on 6-foot-tall canvases and sold them on the art market for precisely the amount owed.
Beyond settling these individuals’ debts with the money generated, the artists aim to make a wider commentary about the US health care system. Over 137 million people in the United States reported medical financial hardship, a 2019 study found.