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Collage of five diverse artworks from the Hammer Museum Collections side by side. From left to right: 1) Contemporary painting of two embracing figures with surreal elements. 2) Post-impressionist style painting of trees with vibrant blues and greens. 3) Black and white illustration of a face with intricate patterns. 4) Japanese woodblock print style image of a figure in a checkered robe. 5) Photograph of a couple dancing, the woman in a black dress and the man in white

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Digital Archive Take It or Leave It: Institution, Image, Ideology
Art Paul McCarthy, Subjective Subliminal Ads
Subjective Subliminal Ads, by Paul McCarthy, 1976–79

Paul McCarthy, Artist
Subjective Subliminal Ads , 1976–79

Medium
9 magazine pages
Dimensions
Dimensions variable
Credit Line
Courtesy of the artist and Hauser & Wirth. Installation view at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles; photography by Brian Forrest

Subjective Subliminal Ads consists of magazine advertisements directly appropriated by the artist. The imagery suggests hidden body parts, employs provocative coded language, or blatantly objectifies bodies to sell products. These "subliminal ads" are designed to produce a generalized desire in the subconscious that will translate into a presumed need for the advertised product in the viewer's conscious mind. This long-standing strategy is so ingrained in our daily experience that McCarthy need only point to it to underscore its absurdity as well as its efficacy.