Portlandia Art Parody Satirizes Boundaries Of Conceptual Art With Absolute Perfection (VIDEO)

Watch 'Portlandia' Tackle Conceptual Art

We've been waiting for the day when Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen would tackle the hazy boundaries of conceptual art on Portlandia and the most recent episode did not disappoint us. The beloved hipster satirists pick up where Marcel Duchamp left off, challenging what can be considered "Art" with a capital A.

The hilarious sequence begins with Brownstein visiting an art gallery with a fellow Portlandian bearing great resemblance to Zooey Deschanel. When they strike up a conversation, the Deschanel look-alike reveals she herself is a work of art, because, as she explains, "what is art if it is not being observed?" The whole thing is made official with a placard bearing the title "Onlooker" and the media: "Human, wine glass, voice." In fact, throughout the sketch it seems as if no one can observe "art" without holding a glass of red wine. It's perfunctory, right?

Portland's art projects continue to get more and more unconventional, until Carrie learns the truth about her existence from her mother, who blurts out: "You know your dad and I collaborated on an art project... It was you!"

See bona fide artists moonlight on television in our "Artists on TV" slideshow below:

Artists on TV

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