A prankster claims to have fooled short-sighted gallery visitors into thinking a pair of glasses he planted on the floor was a modern art masterpiece.
Art-lovers crowded around and snapped photographs of the “work” as they toured the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, home to pieces by artists including Henri Matisse, Andy Warhol and Jackson Pollock.
But the spectacles were no spectacle. Instead they had been planted by a 17-year-old as a joke.
The prankster, who gave his name as TJ Khayatan, told BuzzFeed: “Upon first arrival we were quite impressed with the artwork and paintings presented in the huge facility.
“However, some of the ‘art’ wasn’t very surprising to some of us.”
“We stumbled upon a stuffed animal on a grey blanket and questioned if this was really impressive to some of the nearby people.”
So the youngster said he decided to test the limits of conceptual art by removing his glasses, placing them on the floor and walking away.
Later he posted photos of people standing around the glasses, studying them judiciously.
His prank has since gone viral, with the tweet being shared nearly 50,000 times.
However, TJ remains philosophical about the value of modern art, telling BuzzFeed: "Some may interpret it as a joke, some might find great spiritual meaning in it.
"At the end of the day, I see it as a pleasure for open-minded people and imaginative minds."
