Artist Peter Gronquist opened a solo show,"The Revolution Will Be Fabulous," at LA's Gallery 1988 this weekend featuring his designer knock-off weaponry. NotCot was there and got a peek of his Louis Vuitton electric chair ($4,500), a "traditional" wooden electric chair printed with company's monogram and made with LV buckles used for wrist and ankle straps. The general consensus seemed to be that the quality of the chair, as well as other pieces like PacMan hand grenades and a peacock-feathered Gucci gun, didn't meet the standards of the brands they tried to emulate. 
To hear what I think of this artwork, read more.
While I will admit that building an LV electric chair certainly qualifies as thinking out of the box, I don't think knocking off big-name designers (who tend to prostitute their own logos to begin with) is much of a "revolutionary" statement. One of NotCot's commenters wrote, "To think that mass consumer culture can co-opt revolutionary ideals as some sort of a buzzword or the latest fad, is insulting and vulgar. If this is what the revolution looks like, then it is a sad day for the youth of today." Do you agree? Or do you think Gronquist is challenging the consumer-obsessed mentality in a valuable way?
Esprit
Fred Perry
Victoria Couture
ok then!
1What the...
2"When I think of those East End lights, muggy nights
The curtains drawn in the little room downstairs
Prima Donna lord you really should have been there
Sitting like a princess perched in her electric chair
And it's one more beer and I don't hear you anymore
We've all gone crazy lately..."
Oh. Wait. Yeah. that was Elton John.
Someone Saved My Life Tonight.
Yes. That was it.
Anyway... Back to the art:
I get what they are trying to say.
Rampant consumerism and rampant branding is the putting a big, possibly fatal hurt, on creativity. Snuffing out the consciousness of conscience and we are all being lead to the gallows leashed to threads of branded mud-colored vinyl. Yep. I get it and all that it implies.
Thing is I didn't have to reach for it. I didn't have to think. It was fed to me through it's presentation - immediately - and I didn't even need to wish to see it in person. Therefore, and with all of this in mind, the art is not doing it's job. Someone needs to dig just a little bit deeper.
3Is this for real? Oh my god...
4I bet LVMH will sue him after they finish suing orphan charities!
5umm...what?
6yeah what's with everyone targeting LV these days
7I wonder who'll buy them?! Or are they meant for exhibitions alone. Either way, I don't see any point behind the whole idea.
8I don't like these.
9wow how easy would it be to buy a can of wood stain and make a stencil of the logo?
roughly 25ish dollars versus 4500 dollars?
10I think the exhibit is fab!!!
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