March 1, 2011
Paul McCarthy’s Ketchup Brand(s)
When I first saw the photo of “Daddies Tomato Ketchup” on left, I thought it must be fictitious product, invented by artist, Paul McCarthy. It turns out to be a real brand, apparently owned by Heinz. (Heinz ketchup is another brand sometimes used as a medium in McCarthy’s artwork.)
Photo on right is a detail from “Ketchup Sandwich” an installation in which layers of Heinz ketchup are spread between layers of glass. (Photo from minimapedalia’s Flickr Photostream)
Originally formally trained as a painter, McCarthy’s main interest lies in everyday activities and the mess created by them.
(from Wikipedia’s entry on Paul McCarthy)
In McCarthy’s oeuvre, there is particular emphasis on the mess made by ketchup. And although he uses various foods as a proxy for bodily fluids he says, “there is a big difference between ketchup and blood.”
Below is McCarthy’s Daddies Tomato Ketchup Inflatable, 2007
Randy Ludacer
Beach Packaging Design



























