Ma Bell

Overview

Paul McCarthy’s Ma Bell (1971/1972) is an early, visceral performance video featuring the artist in a room filled with black motor oil and telephone books. It is a "Black & White Tape" where McCarthy uses the oil as paint to cover a telephone book, involving a shift from controlled, conceptual action to a chaotic, "insane" persona. The piece represents his early exploration of using his body, food, and industrial liquids to create transgressive, psychological performances.