“Perhaps more important than the question of who Venfield 8 is, we should be asking why. The artist’s work draws attention to a cult of consumerism and an unyielding quest for “Luxury” that has even spread to porn and sexuality. Using formats of fashion advertising, one cannot escape the deliberate gloss and power that media has. The combination of sex and advertising is well tread territory, but by taking unflinching images of hyper masculinity and subverting them into a format most of us just flip by in a magazine, Venfield 8 forces the viewer to recognize the limitless tools the media has and the lack of boundries in terms of what can be packaged and sold. In Venfield 8’s world, nudity and sex isn’t just about titillation, more importantly, it is about desire – the same quixotic hunger designer labels fuel in consumers who must always have what is next or best. Here, materialism and sex coexist and are celebrated to an absurdist conclusion.” – ANTEBELLUM GALLERY
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not so great…bad taste
Now that could make me a label whore for sure.
Clever, and sadly true.
Not Impressed!!!
nah
Thank you but no thank you
I get it! and I like it!
Is this for real? I LOVE IT.
not really impressed….and not to mention whole lot of copy right infringement going on with easily recognizable labels….being an artist and working with said industry…not impressed.
***scratching head what to say*** I’ll leave it at that.
More ‘shock tactics’ than ‘shock art’ by Venfield 8. Its still more about getting away with displaying cocks in a public way as art than making a critique about consumerism. The same for Rick Castro, a talented photogragher and owner of Antebellum Gallery in Hollywood. Like many in the avant-garde world, they start believing their own press releases. Much of this is ” the emperor’s new clothes ” syndrome where a few self-proclaimed trendsetters declare this art and those who have too much money, are insecure about there own taste ( that’s why they have to buy the right labels) and have to demonstrate their new found sophistication buy into this. Just try to sell this ‘art’ in a few years…the fad has moved on to it’s next mark…like those $2,500 beanie babies that sell for a few bucks at the swap meet.
As to copyright infringement…they get around that by invoking the “artistic parody” clause under the Fair Use laws. Just as comics use ‘parody’ to avoid libel/slander lawsuits for their remarks.
I am surprised this is being called art. However, I dig it. It has sense of humour and it is clever… I would love a Louis Vouitton condom or a Harry Winston cockring… lol!!
I consider it more satire than art.
People commenting that it’s shock tactics, yet if it was a pair of fine boobs, it’d be all ok. Why not display the male form in the media too?