Dietrich Wegner showed his Cumulous Brand series at Carrie Secrist Gallery in Chicago in 2009. They show babies covered in full-body tattoos of corporate logos. Frankly, though they're obviously awesome, I liked them even more after reading the first inane comments they prompted on the supposedly cool flavorpill. And then I liked them a little less after reading the original gallery exhibition's slightly simplistic press release:
He creates images that are safe and unsettling, abject and beautiful. The implementation of the baby in this exhibition reflects Wegner's interest and concern with how youths, even infants, are bombarded by commercialism and how this can affect the development of individual identities.And though I know hyperventilating is supposed to be better for traffic, let me let the air out of this freakout balloon by pointing out that no babies were actually branded in the making of this artwork; Wegner PhotoShopped the logos on afterward. See?
And while they are available in two large-format editions, I wonder if Wegner would accept commissions, so you could hang a photo of your own naked baby covered with the brand cloud he's surrounded by. Of course, then the other four prints in the edition could end up in some random collector's house, so maybe it's a wash.
Cumulous Brands by Dietrich Wegner [dietrichwegner.com via flavorpill]
