Caught on Tape: Celebrity Mug Shots Remade with Packing Tape

If you thought packing tape was mundane, tell that to Brad Kuhl and Monique Leyton.

The Beijing-based artists have been making a name for themselves in the art world with their tape installations and exhibitions. Their work explores the American and global culture of violence and its relationship to fame, media, and the bizarre. They produce story-based social commentary, often using packing and duct tape as a medium.

On their about page, they cite medical TV programs and reality TV shows as influences. Born in 1983 in Miami, the two met at the Design an Architecture Senior High School and began collaborating at Cornell University.

In their mug shot series, Kuhl and Leyton explore our relationship with fame by recreating images of fallen-from-grace celebrities using packaging tape. Take a look …

1. Michael Jackson

2. Snoop Dog Lion

3. O.J. Simpson:

4. Paris Hilton:

5. Mel Gibson

6. Mike Tyson

For more on Kuhl & Leyton, check out their website here click click click