Objects of Desire

The world of advertising has changed drastically over the last century. Marketers have shifted from selling physical objects to promoting lifestyles, brands, and aspirations. Likewise, contemporary photographers have transformed the way they respond to advertising and the ways they manipulate its visual language. This collection of important works by an international cadre of innovative artists traces the dialogue between art and advertising from the 1970s to the present. It offers arresting images from leading conceptual artists such as Chris Burden, Victor Burgin, Sherrie Levine, and Richard Prince. We see how DIS, Victoria Fu, Roe Ethridge, and Kim Schoen take on contemporary consumer culture, branding, and lifestyle creation. Finally, this book looks at how, as artists delve deeper into commercial strategies, advertisers have begun to call upon them to apply their signature style to media campaigns-and further blur the lines between fine art and consumerism.