Furniture Porn
These works ask, “If Vermeer were alive today, would he be working for Pottery Barn’s catalog division?” Three years looking for the right couch makes one a connoisseur of furniture catalogs. From there, it's a short step to begin thinking about vanitas, the histories of still life painting and our cultural desire for the perfect living space exemplified by Crate and Barrel, Pottery Barn, etc. Everything comes readymade; beautiful diffused lighting, perfect compositions and color arrangements, the veneers of good taste and aesthetic discernment, and the suggestion that you could customize it and just insert yourself. The promise of happiness delivered as long as you can afford the layaway plan.
These works ask, “If Vermeer were alive today, would he be working for Pottery Barn’s catalog division?” Three years looking for the right couch makes one a connoisseur of furniture catalogs. From there, it's a short step to begin thinking about vanitas, the histories of still life painting and our cultural desire for the perfect living space exemplified by Crate and Barrel, Pottery Barn, etc. Everything comes readymade; beautiful diffused lighting, perfect compositions and color arrangements, the veneers of good taste and aesthetic discernment, and the suggestion that you could customize it and just insert yourself. The promise of happiness delivered as long as you can afford the layaway plan.
