August 6, 2008

Art and Commerce

Last year, an anonymous buyer purchased Piero Manzoni's Merda d'artista (Artist's Shit) for more than $160,000 — a clear sign that the art market is happy to canonize even its most ardent artistic critics alongside those who embrace the industry. In this issue of Artkrush, we examine the commercial inspirations of pop-art pioneers, such as Claes Oldenburg, and more recent contributors including Hank Willis Thomas and Mika Rottenberg. We take a close look at Josephine Meckseper's storefront installations and photographic works, which embrace the vapid gloss of advertising. Meanwhile, Artkrush editor Paul Laster interviews Tom Sachs about his work and process, which sees him recontextualizing everything from the House of Chanel to Hello Kitty. For our media pick, we recommend the monograph Rachel Harrison: If I Did It, and on the gallery circuit, we direct your attention to Gillian Wearing's two-part solo exhibition in LA and a host of Laotian children looking fierce and ready for battle in Geneva, courtesy of Marina Abramovic's imagination.