Self Portrait as Interior Decorator

Michael Rosenthal (American, b. 1946, California)
Self Portrait as Interior Decorator
Mixed media sculpture
18 in. height
From: Mike's Gift Shop

Rosenthal studied at CalArts in the 1970s with John Baldessari, Allan Kaprow, and Nam June Paik. He ran Michael Rosenthal Contemporary Art gallery in San Francisco.

A mixed media sculpture from the Mike's Gift Shop series — Rosenthal casting himself as an interior decorator. The piece has the irreverence of Oldenburg and the handmade quality of folk art. Rosenthal trained with the conceptualists at CalArts, and that training shows up in work like this: the idea is the form, and the form is funny.