It slices! It dices! It uses the imagery of consumerism to offer sly commentary on Reagan-era popular culture! Yes, this exhibit at the Hirshorn Museum, “Brand New: Art and Commodity in the 1980s,” collects some 150 works that play off the visual language of branding and everyday objects. But how well do the artists pull it off? We mixed pieces from the show with random stuff we found around our office. See if you can tell which is which.
Answers:
B: John Dogg’s “John, Not Johnny.” C: Erika Rothenberg’s “Freedom of Expression Drugs.” F: Haim Steinbach’s “Shelf With Ajax.” H: Alan Belcher’s “$51.49.” A, D, E, and G: stuff from our office.
“Brand New: Art and Commodity in the 1980s” opens at the Hirshhorn Museum on February 14 and shows through May 13.
Photographs of Roll-Ups, Shark, Flamingos, and Helmet by Jeff Elkins.
This article appears in the February 2017 issue of Washingtonian.
