Chanel 1974

Audrey Flack made this painting, Chanel, and right away I’m thinking about how the layering of objects and reflections creates this almost overwhelming sense of abundance. It’s like she’s saying, look at all this stuff, all this gorgeous stuff, and isn’t it great? The surface is so smooth, so airbrushed, it’s hard to see the hand of the artist, but that kind of hyperrealism is a choice. It's a way of heightening the artificiality of the image, making it feel like a glamorous ad. Look how the light catches on the lipsticks, the perfume bottles, even the fruit. Each object is rendered with such meticulous detail. The pearls, for example, they’re not just a string of beads, each one has its own highlight, its own shadow, giving them a weight and presence. Thinking about her contemporary, Martha Rosler, it’s like she is asking similar questions around consumerism and gender, but through a different lens, one of a tactile sensuality. It’s all about surfaces, textures, and the sheer pleasure of looking.