Non-Seeing Eye Dog
Anonymous
20" x 16", acrylic on canvas
Donated by Jennifer Smith
1998

In addition to cataract-impaired vision, this poor dog seems to be dealing with an unfortunate ear infection.

RONAN THE PUG
Erin Rothgeb
18" x 24", acrylic on canvas board
Purchased at a thrift store in Boston, MA
December 2006
MOBA #333

The artist's affection for her dog far outstrips her artistic skill. Paint is slapped on the canvas with random brushstrokes, creating matted, impossible fur. Done in such a hurry that the canine anatomy was not even considered, the artist still captures Ronan's playful sweetness. Or perhaps the pup has just lapped up all the spilled eggnog at a holiday party and is ready to attempt a clear tenor rendition of "Danny Boy."

From: Museum of Bad Art: Masterworks, by Michael Frank and Louise Reilly Sacco

CHARLIE AND SHEBA
Anonymous
18" x 24", oil on canvas
Purchased at a thrift store in Boston, MA
May 2007
MOBA #392

BLUE TANGO
Anonymous
24” x 21”, acrylic on canvas
Purchased in a thrift shop in Brownsburg, IN and
donated by Anne Simon and Sam Pope
December 2014

We see a stylishly handsome couple mid-step as they glide across the floor cheek to cheek. The artist has captured the dancers’ exuberance and joy in this dynamic image; reminiscent of Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s DANCE AT BOUGIVAL (1883), DANCE IN THE COUNTRY (1883), and DANCE IN THE CITY (1883),
  











as well as another work in the MOBA collection: BAILANDO, by Rosalyn Frederick (1994).

BAILANDO Curator Talk

DOG BITES MAN
Valdemar Cher, Sweden
8" x 12", tempera on cardboard
Donated by the artist
June 2007
MOBA #360

The artist employed a no-holds-barred approach to graphically depict the archetypal news non-event. Painting on the inside cover of a Konstnären Magazine ("Artists"), Mr. Cher allowed the underlying red graphic to bleed through his paint, helping express the psychic pain driving the animal to resort to such violent behavior.

DOG
H, 1993
17" x 13", acrylic on canvas
Donated by Elizabeth and Sorn Pöckel, Copenhagen, Denmark

The artist eloquently challenges the viewer to re-examine old concepts of landscape with this remarkable fusion of ski resort and puppy; stoical in yellow-eyed silence as he sits frozen beneath the ice-capped peak.

LADY
K. Murray
12" x 8", oil paint on art board

The viewer is struck by the gleam in this sweet little dog's eyes. She wears a bell on her choke collar, and her body is mysteriously absent.

CALICO POMERANIAN
Ripper (1992)
18” x 24”, acrylic on art board
Donated by Nick DiNuzzo
August 2017

Pomeranians have distinctive tails that are feathered and fan forward over the back as well as luxurious coats in a variety of colors. Most of them have legs and feet as well.

Dog With Flag
J. Fishman
Acrylic on art board, 12” x 9”

The relative sizes of the dog and flagpole offer a clue into the level of intensity of the artist’s love for his pet and his country.

Big White Dog
Anonymous
Oil on canvas, 24” x 20”
Provenance unknown

The artist took liberties with color, scale, and composition. The dog’s painted toenails are particularly interesting.

BONE JUGGLING DOG WEARING A HULA SKIRT
Mari Newman
40" x 16", tempera and acrylic paint on canvas
donated by the artist
MOBA #214

This is a delightful example of labor-intensive pointlessism.

Mari Newman is a prolific artist living in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Everyone at MOBA is grateful that she understands that BONE JUGGLING DOG IN A HULA SKIRT, and many of her other works (including paintings, drawings, and three-dimensional collages featuring Barbie dolls, hot water bottles, and found objects) belong in the MOBA permanent collection. Ms. Newman’s “outsider art” is represented in many other museums, including the Pensacola Museum of Art, the Tampa Museum of Art, the New Orleans Museum of Art, and the Columbus Museum of Art (Ohio).

from: Museum of Bad Art: Masterworks, by Michael Frank and Louise Reilly Sacco, Ten Speed Press

Janvier
Hopée (1961)
Acrylic on art board, 16” x 12”
Purchased at a thrift store in Roslindale, MA
1995

Mademoiselle and her petite poodle promenade in the crisp Parisian night. Are they perhaps a little early for a secret rendezvous?  Her smile suggests “oui!”

Mary and Her Dog
Mildred Scarcliff (1943)
Oil on canvas, 20" x 16”
Rescued from trash in Jackson, MS and donated by Lisa McClure-Leduc
September 2015

The artist painted this sweet portrait of her daughter Mary and her dog almost 80 years ago. While hairstyles come and go, smokey eye has been a constant for generations.

FERRET IN A BROTHEL
Anonymous
24” x 18”, oil on canvas
Purchased at a thrift store in Oakland, CA and
donated by Nicoletta Karam
August 2009

Watch the MOBA Curator Talk about this painting.

Master painters as varied as Titian, Gauguin, Van Gogh, and Picasso, have found prostitutes in their work environment to be a rich and interesting source of thematic material.

The anonymous painter of this work has inexplicably chosen to depict a ferret as a “lady of the evening” in a Victorian room featuring flowered wallpaper and luxurious velvet curtains. She wears only a long pearl necklace and gazes provocatively at the viewer as she dances unashamedly to the music playing on a vintage Victrola record player. The reversed eighth notes may hint at secret meaning in the music being played backwards, e.g., “Paul is dead”, or, more likely, a reflection of the artist’s unfamiliarity with proper musical notation.

UN POISSON MORT
Anonymous
19" x 21", oil on canvas
Purchased at a thrift store in Boston, MA
May 2013

The viewer is left to ponder the cause, as well as the artist's decision to memorialize this fish's demise.

WALLEYES
Anonymous
60" x 60", acrylic on canvas
Purchased at a thrift store in Boston, MA,
October 2012
MOBA #560

Yellow walleye (Sander vitreus) and blue walleye (Sander vitreus glaucus) are freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and the northern United States.

The black ones in this painting seem to be of a different order entirely.

DEATH OF A SWAN
W.B.
36" x 24", acrylic on canvas
donated by Larry Hitt and Carol Page
~1996

This large work portrays the departure of the spirit of a noble fowl, whose head recalls the handle of a child’s umbrella. The light suggests that the artist captured this sad event during a lunar eclipse.

Imaginary Swan
Pooka N. Kandhasamy
Watercolor on artboard, 14" x 9”
Donated by the artist
February 2021

Featuring wings that probably won’t fly, chicken feet, donkey ears, pointy bill, and eyes like an Egyptian; this swan is an odd duck.

HE WAS A FRIEND OF MINE
Jack Owen
24" x 18", watercolor on paper
Purchased by M. Frank at a Boston thrift store
March 2007
MOBA #368

The artist is a skilled watercolorist, as is evident by his knowledgeable use of negative space to create the ghostly husky. The sparkle in the eyes of the see-through cat brings a discordant, evil glint to an otherwise soft and peaceful scene. "Who else thinks it's a good idea to eat from my bowl?"

Byzantine Cats
Christina (1968)
    Acrylic on artboard, 16" x 12”
Purchased at a thrift store in Boston, MA
1994

The miniature hand blesses the frolicking felines whose dark pupils draw the viewer right through the canvas.

IN THE CAT'S MOUTH
Attributed to Pangorda
24" x 22", acrylic on canvas
Acquired from the Children's Hospital Thrift Store, Boston, MA

A comment on issues of power as experienced by those who dwell with feline pets. Is the artist consumed with or consumed by his love for this cat? Does he identify with the personality of the startling animal? Does the similarity between these inseparable cohabitants stop short at the nose? Or is he simply trying to observe a tree-lined avenue through a cat's eyes?

PETER THE KITTY
Mrs. Jackson
10.5" x 7", Oil on board
Acquired from a Salvation Army Thrift Store in Boston, MA

Stirring in its portrayal of feline angst. Is Peter hungry or contemplating his place in a hungry world? The artist has evoked both hopelessness and glee with his irrational use of negative space. 

SPHINX (NOT)
Anonymous
18"x24", ink and watercolor on paper
Purchased at a thrift store in Boston thrift store in Boston, MA
July 2005
MOBA #281

Watch the MOBA Curator Talk about this painting.

The ancient Egyptian Sphinx denotes wisdom and power with it's human head and lion's body.

Here we see quite the opposite, as the not-so-noble feline with the skinny man's body rests his face in his hands in a classic pose indicating despair and confusion.

The inspiration for this work may be a 1928 painting by Paul Klee.

SHOT DOWN! . . . YETI PERSISTS
Gordon R. Stephenson, Jr.
San Diego, CA, June 2010
12" x 16" (5.5" dangling corner), acrylic on canvas
Donated by the artist and Claire Discenza,
March 2011
MOBA #522

Sublimating his rage after being spurned by a Russian woman, the artist represented himself as the legendary abominable snowman in a fearsome pose.

Upon completing the self-portrait, he took it to an open field and shot it with a shotgun.

HOW MUCH IS THAT COW IN THE WINDOW?
Jenia Molnar, ~1985
20” x 16”, oil on canvas
Donated by the artist
June 2014

The artist made the interesting decision to depict one and a half cows in a pastoral plein air painting while avoiding the inconvenience of actually going outside.

Pals
JM, 1966
18" x 14", acrylic on canvas
MOBA #58

A blissful portrayal of deep friendship. The monkey with Bette Davis eyes chases the blues away, bringing peace to the clown as he grooms his five o'clock shadow.

From: Museum of Bad Art: Art Too Bad to be Ignored, by Tom Stankowicz and Marie Jackson

Sad Monkeys and Woman
Anonymous
Acrylic on canvas, 20” x 20”
Purchased in a thrift store in Boston, MA
January 2022

Two despondent looking rhesus macaques huddle before a two dimensional background of acacia trees that may represent their shrinking natural environment.

One of the monkeys looks back at an equally forlorn woman nursing a large glass of milk in an orange and white striped cabana.

YOU'RE A MULE, DEAR
48" x 36”, pastel crayon on composition board
Rescued from trash in Norwood MA
and donated by Ashley Brent & Joe DiMaria

The tension between inner struggle and outward appearance is given a visible manifestation in this interesting study. Perhaps anticipating the growth of interest in ancient Greek culture as a result of the Summer Olympics in Athens, we see that glory always comes with a difficult pricetag attached, and is rarely found on sale.

Guest Interpretater: Jeffrey Makala

PLAYBOY BUNNIES
Mari Newman
24" x 18", acrylic on canvas
Donated by the artist
January 2004

The artist portrayed anatomically incorrect rabbits to make to make an important, if confusing, statement about gender politics.

This is a fine example of labor-intensive pointlessism.

Drool Bunny
Robert McBroom
Acrylic on canvas, 16" x 20"
Donated by the artist
May 2005

Rather than portraying the Easter Bunny hippety-hopping among colorful spring flowers signifying rebirth, the artist has chosen to depict an angry hare sneering as dying autumnal leaves fall in this disturbing, yet compelling, image.

BLUE EYED FOX
Diane Gélinas
14"x 11", oil on canvas board
Purchased in a thrift shop in Thunder Bay, Canada
and donated by Renna Mussatom
March 2012
MOBA #469

A few female foxes feature radiant red hair and bright baby-blue eyes. Many males of the species find them irresistibly attractive.

FROM THE CARRIAGE SEAT
Anonymous
20" x 16", acrylic on canvas
Purchased in a thrift shop in Seldin, NY and
donated by Joe Bucciano
March 2012
MOBA #477

The artist presents a coachman's eye view of a deserted street in a generic Mediterranean village. While the tradition of depicting horses is as old as the prehistoric Lascaux Cave paintings (see image below), the anonymous painter of this work made the unusual artistic decision to concentrate on the part of the horses that left the stable last.

MALINOVKA (ROBIN)
Tatyana Lyarson (Kazan, Russia) 1998
40cm x 50cm, oil on canvas
Purchased at a thrift store in Boston, MA
January, 2012

The young woman's head is slightly atilt under the weight of impossibly orange hair in this idyllic tableau. A tiny songbird has alighted from the dwarf tree bearing two green apples onto a one dimensional chair, contemplating the coiffure as a potential new home.

BOTOS AT SUNSET
Diomar, 2008
acrylic on board
Donated by Mary Beck (Houston, TX)
May, 2014

Amazon River Dolphins (Inia geoffrensis), known locally as botos, live in the Amazon and Orinoco River basins in South America.

Homosexual behavior has been observed in the Amazon River Dolphins, wherein, these dolphins would enter their penises into other males’ or females’ noses (blowholes). This makes them the only animal performing ‘nasal sex’.

SHAMU CELEBRATES WITH SUSHI
Anny “Tazio” Fenton
20” x 16”, acrylic on canvas
Painted at an “art bar” and donated by the artist
May 2016

The artist has portrayed the late Shamu the Killer Whale in mid-breech after enjoying a sushi dinner. MOBA curators believe she is celebrating the news that SeaWorld will no longer present demeaning “orca theatrical shows.”

ON THE SHORE AT SUNSET
Anonymous
16" x 20", oil on art board
Purchased by M. Frank at a Boston thrift store
May 2007
MOBA #278

Two bathers' frantic calls for help go unnoticed as another life and death drama unfolds between the identically colored crab and cat.

The artist added sand to the paint to give the beach a realistic texture and to indicate that the surf was dangerously rough.

TWO TERRAPIN PYRAMID
Michael Frank, MOBA Curator-in-Chief
9" x 11", photograph on paper
September 2006

Red eared sliders Tiny (bottom) and Fluffy (top) perform their death defying two terrapin pyramid.

Below is a photo of them in rehearsal for their performance:

WOLF PACK
Anonymous
acrylic on canvas
Found in curbside trash in Somerville, MA and
donated by Lincoln Marra
March 2017

DEER-TURTLE-COON-ADILLO
Anonymous
Approximately 16" long, mixed media
Anonymous donation
2006

A veterinarian has identified parts of four species of road kill in this piece including deer, turtle, raccoon, and armadillo. He could offer no insight about why it was created.

EARTH MOTHER
Byrde Merican Tuckerman
42" x 36", oil paint plaster and forest detritus on canvas
Donated by George Rappolt
May, 2012
MOBA #476

The artist has created a colorful and texturally rich homage to Mother Nature. Can you find the snail?

BRUNO TIGER
Anonymous
24" x 36", acrylic on canvas
Purchased in Brooklyn, NY and donated by
Maria and Alex Radus
June 2010

It is interesting to ponder the fate of the owner of the rucksack next to a Bengal tiger standing in shallow water. Had the noble beast eaten an average size man or woman, his belly would probably hang into, or at least skim. the puddle. It is probably safe to conclude that either the owner was a small child, or has abandoned the pack and is the object of Bruno's hungry, vaguely man-faced, gaze.

EYES OF THE TIGER
Sue Girardi, 1978
24” x 28”, acrylic on canvas
Donated by the artist
April 2016

King Cat
Joanne (1974)
Mixed media, 16” x 12”
Donated by Chuck Forbush
1994

Michael Bolton meets Simba in this tenderly wrought study. Whipped cream seems to stand up in peaks on his upper lip, recalling that this King of the Jungle was once a kitten. Tiny chartreuse highlights around the deftly executed pupils remind us that he has taken his place as a superstar amongst the beasts.

LION
Anonymous
16” x 20”, acrylic on canvas
Purchased at an antiques store in Mena, AR
and donated by Deborah Jean Cohen
July, 2016

A polydactyl lion poses, fresh from his coloring and blowout appointment at the salon.

GIRAFFE AT THE BEACH
Anonymous
24” x 18”, acrylic on canvas
Purchased in a thrift shop in Prescott, AZ and
donated by Susan and William Cross
June 2015

Knowing his species does not swim, a lone giraffe stays very close to the beach as he walks gingerly in a rough sea. Perhaps he has strayed so far from his normal grassy savannah habitat in a desperate search for relief from the noxious yellow cloud that hovers incessantly around his head.

PEARL
James Gann, 1994
6ft x 4ft, oil on canvas
Found in his basement in Brooklyn, NY
and donated by Olaf
April, 2009

Olaf and the MOBA Curatorial staff endured many fruitless hours and headache remedies attempting to decipher the grotesque faces, disjointed body parts, amorphous shapes, paint drips, and other abstract elements in this work. The obvious conclusion, the pink elephant in the room, as it were, is that they are simply there to provide textural background for Pearl, who dances joyfully over everything.

JAMES
Illegible, May 2009
16” x 20”, oil on canvas
Donated by Emily Goldstein
June 2014

The donor wrote that this painting was a gift from the artist early in their romantic relationship. Years later, she decided to donate the work to MOBA, writing, “What says love like a dead plant and an emaciated/dead-eyed zebra?"

BIRDBRAIN
L. Greselin
24" x 18", oil on canvas board
Purchased at a yard sale in Natick, MA
and donated by Janet Macy
March 2010
MOBA #479

Unlike the sacrificial canaries in a coal mine, the seagulls in this metaphorical painting are free to leave when they sense conditions are deteriorating.

LIBERTY AND JUSTICE
Anonymous
24” x 24”, acrylic on canvas
Donated by Al Rivera
December, 2015

Reminiscent of Judith clutching the head of Holofernes, teary-eyed Lady Liberty celebrates her victory over the enemy and hopes peace can return to the city.

In other news, her jaundiced bald eagle has caught a large fish.

CENTAUR AND BIKER
Anonymous
30" x 30", oil on plywood
Provenance unknown
Acquired February 2016

A centaur and a motorcyclist race on a beach to determine how much progress has been made since the Greek gods reigned.

CHARLIE AND SHEBA
Anonymous
18" x 24", oil on canvas
Purchased at a thrift store in Boston, MA
May 2007
MOBA #392

No longer able to tolerate the incessant barking, Charlie the Chipmunk used a band-aid to tape Sheba the Sheepdog's mouth shut before posing with her on the picnic table.

From: Museum of Bad Art: Masterworks, by Michael Frank and Louise Reilly Sacco

NORTHERN FLICKER
Anonymous
36" x 24", oil on canvas
Purchased at a thrift store in Wareham, MA and
donated by Stephen Z. Nonack
October 2013
MOBA #549

The artist boldly jumps into the Natural Selection vs. Creationism debate by portraying what may have resulted if the Intelligent Designer had made some different decisions.

EXCELLENCE
Anonymous
32” x 26”, oil on canvas
Anonymous donation
July 2009

The artist graphically illustrates his or her belief in either natural selection or intelligent design. A few more words of explanation may have helped communicate his or her intent.

PAINTING OF TWO BIRDS
Lori Maslakow, 1977
16” x 12”, oil on canvas board
Donated by Ace and Jan Hickman
North Bend, OR
December 2016

“Lori’s first oil painting for Daddy for his birthday December 19, 1997”

Escape
JLR
Oil on canvas, 16” x 20”
Purchased at a thrift store in Boston, MA
September 2009

Fearing the oil slick that threatened to spoil their environment, the birds and fish flew south in search of cleaner water.

EYES ON THE FLY
Cronin + NG + ?, 1999
12" x 16", oil on art-board
Purchased at a used bookstore in Hood River, OR
and donated by Judson MacLaury
April, 2013

Two or more artists contributed to this work in which we are reminded, when walking the desert at night, to remain focused.

CHICKEN IN THE KITCHEN
Ryan Fullenkamp
14"x18", oil on canvas
Donated by the artist
April 2013

Returning home from a hard day at work, Super-Chicken finds dinner on the table. He is not amused.

Chicken Crossing the Road
R. Petit
18" x 24" Oil on canvas board
Purchased at thrift store in Boston, MA
January 2008

Without giving the viewer any indication of the fowl's reasoning process, the artist has portrayed a chicken in the foreground crossing a road deep in the forest. The black bunny in the distance does not seem to care why the chicken is coming, but is intent upon getting to the other side.

The Fox and the Fish
Bobby Swainston (2006)
Acrylic on canvas, 36" x 36”
Donated by Anna Waldron and Stephen Libby
July 2014

There is a Talmudic parable about a sly fox who unsuccessfully tried to convince a clever fish frantically trying to avoid a fisherman's net that he would would be safer on dry land. This confusingly composed painting featuring a nattily attired canid and a smoke ring blowing fancy goldfish seems to have nothing to do with that ancient tale.

Smiling Serpent with Tomato
Barbara Hagan
Acrylic on canvas, 50” x 21”
donated by Eric Schwarzenbach
1994

Is the tomato enough? Is that a smile of deep satisfaction? Or has it merely whetted the appetite? Perhaps the smile is at the thought of what will be devoured next.  

Earthworm
Anonymous
Acrylic on cardboard, 7.5” x 33”
Provenance unknown

This is a gruesome bisection of an earthworm. It is difficult to discern whether the section on the left is the front or the back; probably information only useful to another earthworm.

Desert Still Life (The Therapist's Wife)
Anonymous
Water color on paper, 26” x 18”
Purchased at a thrift store in Boston, MA
September 2014

At first glance, this seems to be a painting of a seated woman wearing a large sun hat and sensible shoes. Upon further examination, the viewer can not help but notice that her head and torso have been replaced by an anatomically incorrect ring-necked pheasant perched in an oil lamp. The incongruity of the scene is lost on the marmmunching on a seed behind the chair.

This may have been inspired by The Therapist by Rene Magritte.

At the Water Hole

Self Portrait as a Bird
Rebecca Harris
Pastel crayon on paper, 25” x 22”
Donated by the artist
1994

I’d rather be a sparrow than a …

Glee sparkles from Ms Harris’ eyes in this joyful self portrait/evolutionary essay.

Blue Eyed Fox
Diane Gélinas
Oil on canvas board, 14" x 11”
Purchased in a thrift shop in Thunder Bay, Canada and donated by Renna Mussatom
March 2012

A few female foxes feature radiant red hair and bright baby-blue  eyes. Many males of the species find them irresistibly attractive.