Objects of Desire

2018, Oil on offset printed canvas, 29.5x29.5cm framed

Brand and luxury consumption is both universal and diverse, persuasively inspired by designers and marketers to seduce us with the aspirational value of the goods. ‘Objects of desire’ presents a dichotomy, two luxury international brands, the sexualized Jean Paul Gautier design amplifies and objectifies the female form with its iconic cone breasted corset and truncated form and the Chanel design signals that true elegance is achieved through expensive simplicity. This work asks us to consider whether an individual’s choice is about the object’s functional utility or whether it reflects a desire to integrate the brand’s symbolic meaning and its price into self-concept and to legitimize one’s social status?