Stay Up Late

Stay Up Late is a 1992 erotic furry watercolor painting by Brian Swords. The work depicts two anthropomorphic white rats embracing on a bed. Between 1988 and 1993 Swords donated paintings to an yearly art auction for WITF-TV, a public television station in central Pennsylvania. As the years went on, the artwork became more explicit culminating in the station banning erotica in 1993.

This article is about the painting. For the Talking Heads song, see Little Creatures.
Two white rats embracing on a bed.
Brian Swords, Stay Up Late. 1992. Private collection of John Oliver

It was originally sold in 1992 for $80 (equivalent to $150 in 2021), and gained prominence in 2020 when television host John Oliver purchased the painting on Last Week Tonight. Oliver used the work to commentate on the American response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The stunt was praised by commentators. The next year, Stay Up Late was included in a five city tour put on by the show to support struggling museums.

Background

Brian Swords, also known as Biohazard, is an American furry fandom artist from York, Pennsylvania.[1] He cites "Omaha" the Cat Dancer and The Secret of NIMH as influences on his art.[1] Swords is best known for painting a series of watercolors, including Stay Up Late, that depict a pair of anthropomorphic rats, named Alice and Bob, in sexually suggestive poses.[2] Between 1988 and 1993, Swords donated his paintings to "Gallery 33", WITF-TV's yearly auction. His pieces sold well, but the donated paintings steadily became more explicit.[2] Out of fear of alienating their audience and losing their FCC license, erotica was banned from the auction in 1993.[2]

Description

Stay Up Late is a watercolor painting on paper measuring 24 by 18 inches (61 cm × 46 cm).[2][3] It depicts two anthropomorphic white rats embracing on a bed.[4] Behind them, on the headboard, sits a large bottle of K-Y Jelly and a used ashtray.[3][4]

Provenance

Stay Up Late was painted in 1992 by Brian Swords and sold to an unknown buyer for $80 (equivalent to $150 in 2021).[1] In 2020, it was purchased from an anonymous owner for $1,000 and a $20,000 donation to a local food bank by John Oliver as part of a stunt on Last Week Tonight. Oliver was attempting to show how much easier it is to buy a particular painting from an unknown artist than it is to get tested for COVID-19 in the United States.[5]

The painting appeared in the March 29, 2020 episode of Last Week Tonight when Oliver offered to buy the painting for $1,000 and a $20,000 donation to a food bank.[6] Two weeks later, on April 12, 2020, Oliver was shown with the painting as part of his closing monologue of the episode.[7] Emily Chambers, writing for politics blog Pajiba, referred to the extended joke as "greatest story of the past century."[8] Virginia Streva, writing for Philly Voice, called the quest for the painting a "comedic victory."[9]

As a part of a October 2021 – January 2022 tour, Stay Up Late and two other works — a paint on plywood portrait of Wendy Williams eating a lamb chop by Michael Lee Scott and an oil on canvas painting of Larry Kudlow's neckties by Judith Pond Kudlow — visited the Judy Garland Museum, Museum of Broadcast Communications, American Visionary Art Museum, William V. Banks Broadcast Museum & Media Center and the Cartoon Art Museum.[3][10] The traveling exhibition was put on by Oliver to support museums impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Each museum visited received a $10,000 donation from Last Week Tonight and a donation to a local food bank.[3]

References
  1. Whalen, Andrew (March 30, 2020). "The True Story Behind 'Last Week Tonight's' Rat Erotica Painting". Newsweek. Archived from the original on April 1, 2020. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  2. Scolforo, Liz Evans (March 30, 2020). "No joke: John Oliver wants Yorker's rat erotica, and he's willing to pay top dollar". York Dispatch. Archived from the original on April 1, 2020. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  3. Warnecke, Lauren (October 21, 2021). "Unusual Masterpieces". Arts & Living. Chicago Tribune. p. 8. Retrieved March 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. McCauley, Mary Carole (November 5, 2021). "It's as if Monet Had a Furry Period". Baltimore Sun. pp. A3. Retrieved March 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. Argento, Mike (March 30, 2020). "John Oliver wants York artist's painting, offering $1K and $20K donation to local food bank". York Daily Record. USA Today. Archived from the original on March 31, 2020. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
  6. Streva, Virginia (March 30, 2020). "John Oliver desperately wants to buy rat-erotica painting by Pennsylvania artist". Philly Voice. Archived from the original on April 1, 2020. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  7. Stairiker, Kevin (April 13, 2020). "John Oliver of HBO's 'Last Week Tonight' receives York man's 'furry' art". Lancaster Online. Archived from the original on April 13, 2020. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  8. Chambers, Emily (April 13, 2020). "Prepare To Have Your T*ts Blown Off With Inspiration By 'Last Week Tonight'". Pajiba. Archived from the original on April 16, 2020. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
  9. Streva, Virginia (April 13, 2020). "John Oliver obtains sought-after rat-erotica painting by Pennsylvania artist". Philly Voice. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
  10. Cavna, Michael (September 9, 2021). "John Oliver is helping museums through the pandemic — by lending them rat erotica". Washington Post. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
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