MIKE KELLEY & PAUL MCCARTHY

Sod & Sodie Sock was published to accompany the landmark collaborative exhibition by Mike Kelley and Paul McCarthy at the Secession in Vienna in 1998. Inspired by Sad Sack, the American comic character representing the mundane realities of military life, the publication explores the artists' unsettling installations, videos, and performances. These works examine themes of authority, militarism, and the dynamics of power within the US Army through the lens of Sad Sack, while also drawing on ideas associated with Georges Bataille, Wilhelm Reich, and Clement Greenberg.

In his foreword, Secession president Werner Würtinger describes the exhibition as challenging viewers to confront overlooked aspects of contemporary civilisation. He suggests that the works invite audiences to engage with history, memory, and cultural identity, transforming them from passive observers into active participants in the experience.

 

 First Edition, Very good,  152 pages; 21 × 30 cm.