Dior 

Alex Gross’s “Dior” offers a surreal collision of consumerism and conflict on canvas. The American artist has set his image in what looks like the Middle East, where we see palm trees, tanks, and even a McDonald’s sign in Arabic. This is a world overrun with American brands like Dior, with the sunglasses and purses worn by the female figures. Gross made the image at a time of increasing globalization and it's worth asking what public role art could and should play within that rapidly changing dynamic. He suggests an uneasy relationship between American consumer culture and the reality of military conflict, with the female figures and the dodo seemingly oblivious to the fighting. To understand this painting better, we could examine the history of globalization in the early 2000s, comparing it with the history of US foreign policy. And we might then ask what kind of social commentary the artist can offer through the visual juxtaposition of war and brand names.