Althouse: "This is how I put a bunch of raccoons in trench coats inside of a secret art gallery."

March 15, 2025

"This is how I put a bunch of raccoons in trench coats inside of a secret art gallery."

A great art project....

23 comments:

Peachy said...: that is dedication to a project. wow.; 3/15/25, 10:35 AM
Peachy said...: the graffiti is a nice touch.; 3/15/25, 10:35 AM
Lazarus said...: So not real raccoons in real trench coats in a real art gallery?

You don't get an A+ on your art project unless it's something that can get you arrested.; 3/15/25, 10:42 AM
rehajm said...: After the stunt people were filmed the next person filled it with trash bags of q-tips, condoms and moldy fruit…; 3/15/25, 10:58 AM
Wince said...: Love it. This guy applies an amazingly broad and eclectic skill set to his very creative art.; 3/15/25, 10:58 AM
Wince said...: Astounding how much detail is data-driven.; 3/15/25, 11:00 AM
mikee said...: If you've ever watched multiple raccoons fussing over a food source, as I have (my life is a bit odd at times), you learn that they can either attack frontally with snarls and bites and headlong violence, or they can sidle up to the opposition, sit down to protect their tender pieces, and shove their way into a position to eat. The frontal attack results in lots of very loud raccoon screaming on both sides, chases around the yard and up &down trees, and eventual running away of one party or the other. The sidling approach results in a few snarls but a re-equilibrium where both raccoons get to eat, or the displaced one just ambles off to grab a snack elsewhere.

We could all learn from this. Sidle, sit, shove!; 3/15/25, 11:04 AM
Aggie said...: Banksy, only with Shop Class; 3/15/25, 11:05 AM
Kate said...: An art installation that's a play on dumpster diving, presented with fake trash and scuff marks. A garbage dollhouse.; 3/15/25, 11:29 AM
Lem Vibe Banditory said...: The idea in Mathew 25:40 appeals a lot. but did he really do it to one of the least of these? The raccoons were statues. The real thing is a wild kingdom, too wild.; 3/15/25, 11:50 AM
Temujin said...: Wow...talent, vision, focus.

I watched this video the other night and thought this guy had money, vision, more money, and will.
Massive home renovation.

Both are pretty cool in their own way. Only one would really work as a home for more than a night.; 3/15/25, 12:09 PM
mikee said...: This art piece is very close to those done by Steve Carell in Dinner for Schmucks. NTTAWWT.; 3/15/25, 12:11 PM
Jaq said...: There is a pack of raccoons who seem to think that my swimming pool is a toilet I would happily donate to his next project if he wants to come collect them. They are quite good at evading traps, so maybe he can design better ones.; 3/15/25, 12:34 PM
Ampersand said...: Jaq, one word: Baylisascarias.; 3/15/25, 12:47 PM
Jaq said...: Yeah, I double shock the pool when it happens, pouring the shock right on the stuff, and we don't use it for a couple three days.; 3/15/25, 12:57 PM
GRW3 said...: I really enjoyed this post. In my days of buying art, I might have acquired an original.; 3/15/25, 1:13 PM
Tina Trent said...: Well done. But wouldn't be easier just catch a bunch of real racoons and let them loose in a museum and insist that it's art?

He could probably get them into trenchcoats by filling the pockets with cat Temptations. Never had an animal situation that couldn't be solved by Temptations. Possums love them. Tempted to crumble them into husband's food. Besides the Ph.D. in British legal publishing and brilliant legal practice, he's entirely feral, and he loves snacks. He could explain Heiddeger with his cheeks full of Temptations.; 3/15/25, 1:29 PM
Ann Althouse said...: The way he figured out the graffiti... so far beyond what was needed it was just really touching.; 3/15/25, 3:18 PM
Smilin' Jack said...: My God, the stupid shit that now passes as “art”.; 3/15/25, 4:03 PM
MrsX said...: I love this! Thanks for finding/sharing it!; 3/15/25, 4:36 PM
Rosalyn C. said...: One of those cases where the process is way more interesting and satisfying than the final result. Racoons in trench coats at an art gallery?
I thought about a couple of other scenes he could have created (I associate rats with dumpsters more than racoons): a classroom of young rats studying a map of the NY subway system, a domestic living room scene of a rat family with snacks and a family pet*, a raucous rat party with lights, music, drinks and pizza.

* If a rat family had a family pet what would it be? (asked Grok)
"If a rat family had a family pet, it’d probably be something small, manageable, and compatible with their lifestyle—rats are practical like that. They’re social, clever critters who live in tight-knit groups, so they’d likely pick a pet they could interact with and not overwhelm their sewer-or-burrow vibes. A good bet might be something like a cockroach. It’s low-maintenance, thrives in the same gritty environments rats do, and could scuttle around with them without needing much fuss. Plus, rats are omnivorous scavengers—worst case, if the pet cockroach gets out of line, it’s a quick snack."

Now that he's done it I doubt he would do another one, but I'd love it if he took any of my suggestions.; 3/15/25, 6:13 PM
stlcdr said...: Could AI do this? While it sounds like he used an ‘algorithm’ for the graffiti - a tool to get what he needs - there’s something very real and pleasing about a human using their time to create something.; 3/16/25, 8:31 AM
Rusty said...: Way cool. Besides art he's got good welding skills. Try welding a large piece of sheet without warping.; 3/16/25, 9:50 AM