Photo: Patrick Gruban / CC BY-SA 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Paul McCarthy was born on August 4, 1945 in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Paul McCarthy is a painter, sculptor and illustrator. The age as of 2026 is 81. Schooling on record includes University of Utah. Notable works include Tree and Santa Claus.
My Take
Paul McCarthy is the kind of artist I find genuinely unsettling, and I mean that as praise. His monumental, grotesque sculptures, the notorious Tree and his deranged Santa, weaponize childhood iconography to expose the rot in consumer culture. He isn't trying to be liked, and that fearlessness is rare. Working across painting, sculpture, video, and installation from Los Angeles, he's stayed provocative for decades without softening. Plenty of people will dismiss the work as juvenile or gross, but I think the discomfort is the point. Artists willing to provoke this relentlessly keep the whole field honest, and I'm drawn to him.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Paul McCarthy
- Name (Japanese)
- ポール・マッカーシー
- Reading
- ぽーる・まっかーしー
- Born
- August 4, 1945 (age 81)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Leo / Rooster
- Origin
- Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
- Occupation
- painter / sculptor / illustrator / video artist / installation artist
2. Background
- University
- University of Utah
3. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Tree | — | |
| Notable work | Santa Claus | — |
4. Links
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Paul McCarthy born?
Born August 4, 1945 (age 81).
Where is Paul McCarthy from?
Paul McCarthy is from Salt Lake City, Utah, United States.
What does Paul McCarthy do?
Paul McCarthy works as painter, sculptor, illustrator, video artist, installation artist.
What is Paul McCarthy known for?
Notable works include Tree, Santa Claus.
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