ADS ; CHANEL ; REBEL ; MOBIL ; BLACKGLAMA c. 1985

Curator: What a delightfully chaotic mashup! It assaults the senses, doesn’t it? I find myself immediately questioning what’s being sold and to whom. Editor: Right! What you’re responding to is Andy Warhol’s “ADS ; CHANEL ; REBEL ; MOBIL ; BLACKGLAMA” from around 1985. It’s a collage and screenprint, dripping in that signature Warholian blend of high art and mass culture. He loved pushing those boundaries. Curator: Boundaries? Honey, he obliterated them! It's almost aggressive, this collision of Chanel’s pristine image with, like, Mobilgas and some vague "Rebel" spirit. And Blackglama – wasn't that all about luxurious mink coats? The dissonance is jarringly wonderful. It is total visual overload that makes a statement. Editor: Absolutely. Warhol was obsessed with brands and the power they wielded, almost like modern deities. He takes these potent symbols of consumerism and throws them into a blender. In that era the line between advertisement and celebrity was extremely thin, if there at all! And it speaks to our own complicated relationships to them now. Curator: It also speaks to him. What would make Chanel sit next to the local gas station, for Andy? The way these products reflect who we want to be, who we think we are is so central. Are we dripping in Chanel No. 5, or fueling up for the next gig at Mobil, dressed head to toe in someone else's idea of you, honey? It’s almost…sad. Editor: The choice to combine and superimpose seemingly disparate logos underscores the power of branding to imbue objects, and indeed us, with cultural meaning and status. This appropriation highlights our cultural landscape that is full of brands, each shaping desire and identity. What the effect? Curator: Confusion, perhaps? Discomfort? But also, a thrilling sense of recognition. I look at it, and it just affirms my feeling that maybe nobody knows what they're doing, really. Underneath it all, maybe we're all just wearing costumes. But I also enjoy how chaotic it all is. A delightful disasterpiece. Editor: A potent paradox, indeed. And I think Warhol relished those kinds of reactions. He challenges us to not be passive consumers, but to be critical observers of the images and brands that bombard us every day. Curator: A valuable sentiment. All that remains is how wonderfully tacky and provocative this looks after all this time, doesn't it? Editor: Timeless, somehow.