Museum of Bad Art

New Year's Bagel
Mari Newman
mixed media, 20"x16",
Donated by the artist
April, 2009

Smiles abound as one of MOBA's most prolific artists celebrates her favorite nosh.

Captains of Industry
Ron Seitler
Oil on canvas, 32” x 26”
Purchased at a flea market in Stuart, FL
March 2023

Thomas Edison and Henry Ford are set in stone. A family of sparrows has moved into the auto tycoon’s hat, which has been replaced on his head by one of the inventor’s lightbulbs containing an orange, while an embarrassed Luddite researches the situation on his vintage green 1999 iMac.

MOBA's 2024 wall calendar is dedicated to Thomas Edison who famously described genius as "1% inspiration and 99% perspiration". MOBA artists may have a different balance. You decide. Is this genius?

Buy calendars here for everyone you know.
https://www.massbaytrading.com/the-museum-of-bad-art-2024-16-month-calendar.html?fbclid=IwAR2Hf7YNyp1icBdFriNvy4cInctq-q8lSW9dk8Rpqwi6N67vA3MrZnQeY98

Anja
Anna Sea (2021)
Acrylic on canvas, 6” x 8”
Donated by the artist from Renkum, the Netherlands
October, 2023

This intriguing little portrait might have appeared more complete had the artist asked her model to move a bit to her right.

MOBA News for November has been distributed by email. If you did not receive your copy, just send a note to [email protected]. We'll get that news to you promptly.
MOBA News is published 4 or 5 times a year. We never share or sell our lists.

MOBA appreciates Signore Berlusconi's support of the arts and would welcome the assistance of anyone who knew him personally to help with the acquisition of his collection.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-67162602.amp?fbclid=IwAR2Skhdh0wJL8Ms_L6N8Tk635SUprqPgRWiVRgO6mPVInSEusTEa7guc6o8

Berlusconi's 'worthless' art proving a headache to heirs The ex-Italian prime minister bought many of his 25,000 paintings from late-night telesales programmes.

The Rescue
Pino Cannizzaro (1987)
Oil on canvas board, 20” x 24”
Purchased from a street vendor in Siracusa, Italy
October 2023

A tall young woman appears to be exhausted, yet she is appreciative of the brave man who rescued her from the roiling sea.

TOO FAT PEOPLE
Leger Vilfort
29"x39", acrylic on canvas
Purchased at a thrift shop in Boston, MA
August 2008

Probably influenced by Fernando Botero’s “inflated images”, the artist offers a portrait of rotund lovers with impossibly tiny feet sharing a private moment in which they shyly avoid direct eye contact. The minuscule bonzai trees in the background perfectly match the hues of the couple’s casual attire.

MOBA has been named Best of Boston as the BEST ART COLLECTION ONLY A MOTHER COULD LOVE. MOBA last won this honor in 1996 in the category BEST NEIGHBORHOOD MUSEUM.

We thank Boston magazine for the recognition. We know that virtually everyone loves MOBA, despite the wording of this award!

Black Bird, White Feather
Illegible
Acrylic on canvas, 24" x 48"
Purchased at a thrift store in Boston, MA
May 2023

An anatomically correct black raven perches on a branch grasping a white feather in its right talon The impressionistic fire and water in the background represent another coincidentia oppositorum in this colorful tableau.

Whistler’s Beheaded Mother
Michael Gershberg (1991)
Acrylic on canvas, 28” x 30”
Donated by the artist
March 2023

The artist offers a colorful disorienting image inspired by James Whistler’s 1871 portrait of his mother (Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1).

Twins In Utero
Michael Gershberg (1992)
Oil paint and chicken bones on canvas, 40” x 40”
Donated by the artist
March 2023

The artist offers a biologically inaccurate image of fraternal twins in utero. They must compete for real estate in the womb with amorphous blobs the artist intended to represent “birth, fertility, and death.”

Stealth Victory
Anonymous
Mixed media, 18” x 24”
Purchased at an antique store in Natural Bridge, VA
March 2017

The official terminology for aerial battles conducted at close range, commonly known as dogfights, is air combat maneuvering. This ACM has resulted in the rapid unscheduled disassembly of one of the adversaries.

À L'intérieur de L'oeuf
Illegible (Haitian)
Oil on canvas, 32" x 24"
Purchased in Sousa, Dominican Republic
and donated by Susan Tompkins-Hunt
January 2007

The French title adds to the mystique of this disturbing example of art brut.

Museum of Bad Art updated their information in their About section.

Odalisque
Julia Vindman
Acrylic on Canvas, 30” x 24”
Found in her apartment closet
and donated by Hillary Rogers
March 2023

Western artists have long portrayed women of an imagined “Oriental” culture as embodiments of exotic erotic beauty.
This dancer uses a dancing cane as she incorporates an element of tap into her belly dance performance.

Naked People in the Museum!
In the Nood - tonight @ 7pm - Live Curator Talk at the MOBA gallery (DBco, 1250 Massachusetts Ave., Boston, MA 02125).

Spewing Marshmallows
Anonymous
Acrylic on art board, 20" x 16"
Purchased at a flea market in Stuart, FL
February 2023

Tormented by a sinister demon, a jester disgorges fluffy cotton-like balls.

Broody Coot
Ron Seitler
Oil on canvas, 32” x 26”
Purchased at a flea market in Stuart, FL
February 2023

An American coot’s maternal instinct is so strong she is content to brood an orange. On the right side of the canvas a tiny man uses an orange as a bowling ball – probably duckpins.

Nikola Tesla
L’Dane Ember
Acrylic on canvas, 20" x 16"
Purchased at a flea market in Jensen Beach, FL
February 2023
Among Nikola Tesla’s contributions to modern life are alternating current, medical X-rays, radio, hydroelectric power, neon lights, remote control devices and, apparently, the bubble wand. He avoided eating meat but was famously fond of boiled seafood.

Nikola Tesla
L’Dane Ember
Acrylic on canvas, 20" x 16"
Purchased at a flea market in Stuart, FL
February 2023
Among Nikola Tesla’s contributions to modern life are alternating current, medical X-rays, radio, hydroelectric power, neon lights, remote control devices and, apparently, the bubble wand. He avoided eating meat but was famously fond of boiled seafood.

Raquel
W. Middleton
Oil on art board, 14” x 10”
Purchased at a “wrecker’s yard” in Melbourne, Australia
and donated by Michael Wood
July 2015

The late Raquel Welch was a major movie star in the 1960s and 1970s. An Australian artist attempted to capture her ethereal beauty and clearly, in curatorial parlance, NAILED IT.

Holofernes With the Head of Judith
Anonymous
Oil on masonite, 48" x 24"
Purchased at a flea market in Stuart, FL
January 2023
Realizing this is among the creepiest images in the MOBA Collection, the Curatorial Department chose to avert their gaze rather than conjecturing about the goings-on in this painting.

Of course MOBA is a good choice for a first date - or any date. Suggesting a museum date makes you sound cultured. A date that includes a lot of laughing is definitely a success. And it's free!

DatingNews.com agrees. They published a very nice article about our new digs and dating strategies that come into play when your date involves the Museum Of Bad Art, Dorchester Brewing Co, and maybe M&M Barbecue.
https://www.datingnews.com/daters-pulse/museum-of-bad-art-is-a-quirky-date-spot/

The Museum Of Bad Art Reopens to Offer a Quirky Date for Boston Couples - [Dating News] Going out for a date should be a fun and positive experience. Not only do couples get to share company with their romantic partner or partner-to-be, they also get time to participate in an exciting activity. Whether they try a new restaurant, go see a movie, or grab a drink, dates allow couples and....

HAPPY BOXING DAY

Point of Impact
Anna K.
Acrylic on canvas, 20" x 24”
Donated by Noah Sawyer
May 2011
The artist uses faux hi-tech medical imagery, what appears to be a death mask, and a violent image of pugilists in action (based on George Bellows' 1924 painting of a match between Jack Dempsey and Luis Ángel Firpo) to illustrate the inherent danger confronting all the faceless athletes who engage in the "sweet science.”

Incarnation
Illegible
Tempera paint on paper, spray mounted on foam core board, 29" x 27"
Rescued from the in Medfield (MA) Transfer Station and donated by Jana Kibbe
October 2022

The subject’s belly is mirrored by the yoga ball on which he rests his leg. While his demeanor is more contemplative, his body is reminiscent of Bodai, the Chinese "Laughing Buddha."
A moonlit aquarium-like view holds his expectant gaze. It enters his immediate space, cradling him with a comforting bubble-bath presence that dampens the floor at the top of his Scala Sancta.

This week's New Yorker Magazine crossword puzzle:

Woman with Turkey
Anonymous
Carbro print on paper, 18" x 8"
Purchased and donated by Greg French
May 2021
The anonymous photographer used an esoteric labor-intensive printing technique popular in the early 20th century to create this image of an attractive woman engaging in holiday cosplay.

The 2023 MOBA Wall Calendar features art from the Eye Eye Eye Gallery.
https://www.massbaytrading.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=BMM1016

Medusa Applies Lipstick
M. Conroy
Acrylic on canvas, 24" x 20"
Purchased at a thrift store in Boston, MA
October 2022

Realizing she couldn’t do a thing with her hair, Medusa thought some eye makeup and lipstick would improve her look.