Museum Store

2018-2019

In this body of work, I painted playful reproductions of museum merchandise and also created my own merchandise as a way to explore questions surrounding the value and commodification of art. Many products are for sale at museum gift shops with images of the work from their collections or traveling shows (e.g. a pillow with a reproduction of “L’oiseau de Ciel” for “Rene Magritte: The Fifth Season”). While having affordable merchandise or mementos available for sale, this potentially makes the artwork more accessible to viewers who could not possibly afford the artwork, while also bringing up the question of what is art and what is the commodity. In a self-reflexive vein, I sometimes insert my own art objects into the paintings.