I recently posted a piece on the commercialism of the art market today. Perhaps Consummerism is a better "ism" to have usded. NY and Hamptons artist, Matuschka has just published a book of art on the topic which makes icons of shopping bags. Beautiful work!

Introduction to BAGIT
by Anthony Haden Guest

MATUSCHKA GOES SHOPPING The shopping bag pieces in Matuschka's series are artful in every sense of that slippery word. The materials she uses in "Bagit!" are just that, empty shopping bags, but she has plucked them from the worlds of shopping, branding and packaging and turned them to her own ends. Which pack a whammy. At first the viewer may feel that he or she is drifting through the familiar world of pure abstraction but then elements of the real tug at the attention ­ yes, that IS a blue but it is also Tiffany's trademarked blue and these white coils like albino serpents are the cords ­ so that the sweetness is cut, leaving a seductively bittersweet aftertaste. The relevant ism here is consumerism. That Pinging! sound you hear is shopping, shopping, shopping. CLick here for the complete Matuschka "BAGIT" essay

Matuschka has also been added to the artist's links in the right column.