Richard Prince's "Just My Luck" series, introduced in 2021 and exhibited at Tarmak22 in Gstaad Airport in early 2022, represents a fascinating exploration of classic American comedy and the complexities of authorship through the medium of visual art. Prince, known for his appropriation art, continues to probe American pop culture and societal norms, employing humor as a critical tool in this latest body of work​ (Nahmad Contemporary)​​ (Tarmak22)​.

The series showcases Prince's return to incorporating jokes into his artwork, a practice he began in the 1980s. This time, he appropriates a deadpan joke from legendary stand-up comedian Rodney Dangerfield, "Just my luck. I was at the airport when my ship came in," expressing it through hand-written charcoal inscriptions on large, raw canvases. The repetition of the joke across the series not only emphasizes its humor but also invites reflection on its deeper, perhaps melancholic implications about luck and missed opportunities​ (Nahmad Contemporary)​​ (Tarmak22)​.

Unlike his earlier "Joke Paintings" where the punchlines were typed and silk-screened onto primed surfaces, "Just My Luck" features a notable presence of the artist's hand, making each iteration of the joke uniquely personal yet simultaneously challenging the notion of originality due to the series' uniformity and the recycled nature of the joke itself. This method continues Prince's long-standing exploration of appropriation, blurring the lines between authorship and originality​ (Nahmad Contemporary)​​ (Tarmak22)​.

In addition to "Just My Luck," Prince expanded his exploration of Rodney Dangerfield's humor in another solo exhibition titled "Everyday," where he delved into a broader range of the comedian's one-liners. This collection, developed during the pandemic between 2019 and 2021, not only humorously engages with everyday life's trivialities but also critiques and parodies societal norms and cultural clichés through the repurposing of Dangerfield's observational comedy. These works feature bold oil stick lettering against backgrounds of collaged stage notes, presenting a cacophony of cultural commentary and introspection​ (FAD Magazine)​.

Both series exemplify Prince's continued engagement with appropriation as a critical and creative strategy, offering insight into the artist's nuanced interrogation of American culture, humor, and the complexities of communication and originality in the contemporary art landscape.