The Museum of Bad Art: Masterworks

by Michael Frank, Louise Reilly Sacco

Located in the basement of a theater, the Museum of Bad Art (MOBA) is a unique institution dedicated to the celebration of artistic effort, however misguided. The Museum of Bad Art: Masterworks presents a pulsating collection of more than seventy never-before-published pieces of artwork from MOBA's permanent collection. Comprised largely of canvases found discarded on curbside trash piles or obtained for a pittance at thrift stores, this innovative compilation occupies a niche previously ignored in the international community of art collection, preservation, and interpretation. If the subjectivity of art appreciation were ever in doubt, this astonishing assortment of artistic commentaries will fan the flames of controversy. It is clear that many of these artists suffered for their art; now it's your turn.

 A photographic catalog of 70 exquisitely bad pieces of master artwork from the permanent collection of the Museum of Bad Art in Dedham, Massachusetts. Featuring profiles of select MOBA artists as well as the stories behind the art. ReviewsBoston Globe 4/30/08: Shopping Tip of the Day.

Michael J. Frank has served as the Curator-in-Chief of the Museum Of Bad Art since 2000.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

128 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2008

About the author

Michael Frank’s essays, articles, and short stories have appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, Slate, The Yale Review, Salmagundi, The TLS, and Tablet, among other publications. His fiction has been presented at Symphony Space’s Selected Shorts: A Celebration of the Short Story, and his travel writing has been collected in Italy: The Best Travel Writing from The New York Times. He served as a Contributing Writer to the Los Angeles Times Book Review for nearly ten years. A recipient of a 2020 Guggenheim Fellowship, he lives with his family in New York City and Liguria, Italy.

Reviews

[Left Coast Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A vestigial sense of decency, of not wanting to mock the efforts of others, makes be withhold the five-star review that this book so richly deserves. This book came from the gift shop of the actual museum, which is in a Boston basement and is open whenever the hobbyist owners feel like opening it. Regrettably, I have never been there and got the book from B&N.

Really, people attempting to make art should be encouraged, and some of the loopy items portrayed in this book really seem to be serious attempts by incompetent people to make something beautiful or thought-provoking. But others ("Elvis Descending a Staircase"), you just have to wonder.

The captions that accompany (and in some instances, explain) the images are often laugh-out-loud funny.

Indulge your inner vicious critic and have some fun during lockdown.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had heard of this organisation before; the museum does actually exist in the Boston area! They also have a website, which features many of the 'artworks' in the book. The art is truly bad, but the descriptions by the 'interpretators' make it highly amusing. Readers are invited to join the MOBA, and even to try 'interpretating' some of the works. You can also submit works for the museum.(I have a watercolor in my attic of some portion of a educational institution done by a nun they might be interested in).... All in all, a good for a little giggle book. And I can honestly say that I know some 4 year olds who are much better artists than those featured here!

[Sandra Frey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I live about an eight-minute walk from the MOBA and am a longtime fan. (It also doubles as the green room for Independent Film Festival Boston, which I have volunteered for for more than a decade, so I have a variety of fond memories set there.) Any chance to Go Deep on these breathtaking, thought-provoking pieces is welcome.

[Teresa Hathaway · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is SOOOOO much bad art out there!

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderfully entertaining, but also strangely and disturbingly profound; my first impression was this is the first real art I’ve ever seen since it is completely without pretense!

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book of the shelf in my neighborhood library thinking, "How bad can this art be?" Oh man! Some of the dog paintings in here are just too . . . bad! Admittedly there was at least one piece in here that was, well, good, and next time I go to Boston I simply must stop by the Museum of Bat Art. Simply.

[Brian]

The painting that I found at Goodwill and sent to the museum is on page 39 although I have yet to recieve credit (something I have remedied over e-mail but unfortunately long after the book was printed).

[Melly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as bad or as funny as I'd hoped, but amusing enough.

[Phoenix]

high-larious!

[Dana Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not nearly as good as the 1996 compilation.

[Melissa Waters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Makes me want to paint something badly.