Paul McCarthy: White Snow Dwarf (Dopey #1)

As an influential stalwart of the Los Angeles art scene for many decades, Paul McCarthy has used his unique and at times haunting vision to investigate a broad range of cultural topics ranging from high art to popular culture. In a new body of sculptures, he brings his keen wit to bear on the famous 19th century German folktale Snow White as seen through the lens of Disney’s 1937 animated classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.

At turns heartbreaking and witty, White Snow Dwarf (Dopey #1)—with its crudely hewn and pierced rendering of the beloved Disney character—is one part slapstick comedy and one part existential meditation. Is McCarthy commenting on the Disney-fication of culture, the contemporary condition of humanity, or the creative dilemmas faced by artists in a world increasingly dominated by new media? Although strangely mute, this work asks those questions and many more.