I love the over-the-top design principles of fashion houses, the artistry of the un-wearable fashion show that becomes abstracted down so that items become street-acceptable, wearable pieces. The tantalising adverts that not only - and sometimes not at all - show the sellable piece, but more then anything elevate the iconic brand. Often we see celebrities in the campaigns and I find the match of the exclusivity of brand with the rank of actor very appealing.
This body of work reflects my engagement with the imagery of high fashion. It uses re-appropriation and re-production as methods of image-making in a manner similar to the advertising agencies behind the fashion campaigns. I am visually smitten with the glossy vision and unachievable consumer goals dangled in front of me by magazines and Internet exposure. The work acknowledges how we covet brand and status while simultaneously fighting for non-materialism and a life of substance. My personal obsession with the artistry in design and the need to be free of conforming to superfluous consumerism come together in these works, suggesting that these two worlds are really not that different.
