Galerie Donald Browne’s summer show Who’s Paying You? presents a series of artworks that interrogate financial extravagance. There is a variety of media present, such as Jerôme Havre’s sculpture, Tag, Damien Hirst’s ceramic plate, Home Sweet Home, and Patrick Bernatchez’s photograph, Rose, all exploring themes of indulgence.

Eric Simon’s Collapsed Incomplete Open Cube is a series of pieces that pay homage to Sol Lewitt. Simon has taken a cube and undone it, presenting the opened cube in form of sculpture as well as 3D and 2D impressions. The work refers to the 1960s – a time when form was the subject of an artist’s work. Placing this work in a show about extravagance changes its connotations. One starts to think of the luxury of this kind of practice, instead of one that is more obviously socially conscious. The theme of the exhibit dictates how we interpret the piece.

The other work that caught my eye was Suzy Lake’s Real Enhancement. This photograph captures the bottom half of a woman’s face, from the tip of her nose to the neck. Her bright red lips are accentuated by the manicured finger resting on her chin. The texture of her skin is that of a woman in the autumn of her life. The title of the work, Real Enhancement, raises a number of questions. Is “real” enhancement possible or is that a paradox? Does it refer to the subject’s lips? Are they enhanced by the makeup or other tools? With Lake’s photograph I deliberated on the subject’s life of luxury and the implication of enhancement.

The summer show at Donald Browne is perfect for anyone who wants to see an eclectic mix of works that come together on the subject of wealth and lavishness.

Galerie Donald Browne, space 528
Various artists
Who’s Paying You?
June 9 – August 25, 2012
www.galeriedonaldbrowne.com