Chuck McCarthy ( @chuckmccarthyart ) makes small cardboard and mixed-media sculptures, labels them “Suspicious Package,” and gives them away on Facebook Marketplace.
They’re unique, free, and fantastic. More people should know about them.
In his artist’s statement, Chuck says the series grew out of the vocabulary of fear we’ve all picked up over the years: dirty bomb, active shooter, threat level, suspicious package. That last one is the strangest, because nobody can really say what it means. Any box could be suspicious. Does writing the words on it make it more so, or less?
Chuck says what stops people from claiming one isn’t fear of a stranger or a bomb. It’s the drive across LA, with its ever-changing “threat levels” of traffic.
Even so, He’s given away so many that the original “Suspicious Package” series is gone, and he’s moved on to a new one: “Not A Suspicious Package.”
The listings are part of the work too. They ask whether you’d like to collect art but can’t afford it. The only catch is that you have to come get it, and ideally, talk about him and his art.
For now, do yourself a favor and seek out his work (this is just one of several projects). If you’re in the LA area and feeling the slightest bit brave, you can even claim a “Not A Suspicious Package” of your own.
For me, Chuck’s work is both inspiring and fun. I’d love to see it get the levels of attention that turn into something that actually rewards him for his efforts.
