Pranks

Reading Pranks in 1989 changed the way I thought about life. This fat collection of interviews with lots of different pranksters made me realize that the world and the people in it could be considered an artist's medium. My favorite pranksters in the book are those who pull pranks that delight rather than annoy or torment.

I especially enjoyed the interview with Jeffrey Vallance, who once took a frozen chicken that he'd bought at a supermarket to a pet cemetery and, with a straight face, told the people who worked there that he wanted to arrange a memorial service for his departed pet Chicken (he told them its name was Blinky). He ordered a small powder blue casket with pink satin lining ("Blinky was starting to thaw, so she was placed on a paper towel so that the moisture would not seep under the satin".) He also order an engraved grave marker which read "Blinkly, The Friendly Hen".

Another time, Vallance dressed up like an electrician, complete with nametag, and went into the Los Angeles Country Art Museum, where he replaced electrical outlet covers with ones that had his paintings on them. He then sent out invitations to people announcing his debut show at the museum. Link