My spam filter overenthusiastically, but perhaps understandably, misfiled the latest Museum of Bad Art newsletter in my junk folder. Fortunately I looked the folder over first and found it.
It is perhaps fitting that I found the MOBA newsletter in the trash. The MOBA has had a long history of finding its acquisitions in the trash. Had I not found it, I would have missed the news of the recovery of one of their pieces:
” Long time supporters of the Museum of Bad Art know that on March 9, 1996 we suffered a tragic theft. Our iconic treasure “Eileen” was stolen from a gala MOBA opening.
” We immediately reported the theft to Boston Police, notified newspapers and art dealers, and offered a reward of $6.50 which was raised to almost $37 by generous MOBA supporters.
…”
If you don’t know the MOBA, their web site is worth looking at, and mostly tremendously funny. I’ve said this before (though not recently) but still, I find the stuff in that museum very moving. It’s obvious that the people who did the art were trying their best to express things that were important to them, even if it’s not always clear what that was. It’s the opposite of slick advertising illustration that’s well done but says nothing about the artist.