Luke Oxley
31 October 2008—19 January 2009
Who Wants To Be a Millionaire Make Do and Mend Gift Shop, 2008
Part of Event Horizon
For his installation in the shop Luke Oxley continues his longstanding interest in art as commodity exchange. Using a 1950’s ‘Mother-Hubbard’ kitchen cabinet as a visual merchandising unit the artist has selected objects that refer directly to work, mortality, and the aspiration of wealth. Coated in antique Dutch gold leaf these humble objects are treated to a veneer of luxury. Using Cole Porters’ tongue-in-cheek lyrics from the 1955 song Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? to customise the cabinet, Oxley sets up a conflict between the autonomy of art and its status as a commercial product.
