Uh… yeah.  So bizarre.  Not the concept of using the Louis Vuitton trademark logos on automatic weapons- that’s been done to death.  What’s bizarre to me, is how similar the “new” Justin Melnick “ARM ME” exhibition is in comparison with Peter Gronquiest’s The Revolution will be Fabulous- A Weapons of Mass Designer Show in LA just a couple months ago.  I mean, is it possible that Justin’s “images” are pictures of Peter’s work?  Take a look:

From Justin’s exhibition:

From Peter’s:

The fact is that the whole thing bugs me on several levels.

First, it’s just not clever.  Sure, it’s disguised as clever, but it’s just not.  It’s the oldest, easiest trick in the book.  Use Louis Vuitton (and other luxury label’s good names) obviously without their permission and on something ugly and controversial.  Quick money.

Such a direct copy of an already lousy concept just demonstrates a lack of imagination.  It’s just not impressive at all- and again- actually is only remotely interesting considering the irony and the real battles that Louis Vuitton et. al wage with people copying them everyday.

Don’t get me wrong- I think Peter’s work is just as bad.  He’s clearly using illegally manufactured counterfeit scarves and unlicensed fabrics (you can see in closeups that these pieces aren’t painted- but use glued on fabric) to produce these “pieces of art” (and I use that phrase loosely).  All this does is perpetuate the very problem that both exhibitions are meant to make statements on.  Read articles on the connection between counterfeits and terrorism HERE and HERE.

Just my opinion.  And I can tell from all over the web, that there are a lot of folks out there impressed and entertained by Justin & Peter’s work.

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Kanye just posted this little piece of art by Meryl Smith- a doggie bag, appropriated with the LV monogram… and I’ve gotta say it.  Regardless of the major yuck factor for this piece in particular, I’m so over the whole concept.

I mean, I get it.  Artists who want to make a statement “borrow” the LV marks because they are powerful and get noticed.  But it’s just lazy.  It’s been done to death.  (Think Nadia Plesner’s Darfur shirt, Wim Delvoye’s LV tatoo’d pigs, Peter Gronquist’s monogram Electric Chair (and chainsaw, glocks, artillary shells & Gazelle? of all things- etc. etc).

And I don’t know about you… but I think Louis Vuitton/ Marc Jacobs gets this.  So much so that maybe that’s part of the reason they brought Richard Prince on board.  You know, Richard Prince… “the Man who invented Appropriation”.

What do you think?

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(Electric Chair listed at $4500: See the rest of the pics below…)

It seems like there is almost a movement of artists “appropriating” the Louis Vuitton logo in their work.

The thing is that IMO LVMH has two problems with the Darfur shirt:

1. Who the heck wants to be connected to Darfur? LVMH, I’m sure doesn’t want any association with the atrocites going on over there.
2. The bag that she’s pictured on her shirt is a fake: “confusingly similar” to a Louis Vuitton Murakami Multicolore. From the Cease and Desist letter that LVMH send Nadia Plesner:

“Although we applaud your efforts to raise awareness and funds to help Darfur, a most worthy cause, we cannot help noticing that the design of the Simple Living Products includes the reproduction of a bag infringing on Louis Vuitton’s Intellectual Property Rights, in particular the Louis Vuitton Monogram Multicolore Trademark to which it is confusingly similar. We are surprised of such a promotion of a counterfeit bag.”

(Notice the Canal Street bracelets as cuffs)

So- now we’ve got Peter Gronquist’s blinged out, urban warfare gone Canal Street. I can’t imagine that Louis Vuitton would be pleased.

(Chain Saw sold for $3250)

Gronquiest’s exhibition, “The Revolution will be Fabulous- A Weapons of Mass Designer Show” opened Friday night at Gallery 1988 in Los Angeles. This is I guess a commentary on not only commercialism, but the luxurization of everything. (Think Prada Phone, Chanel or Gucci Bicycle, Louis Vuitton Teddy Bear.)

He didn’t leave anyone out…. you’ll find rifles, artillery shells, granades, glocks, machine guns and for whatever reason- a Gazelle decked out in Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Chanel, Gucci, Fendi, Coach, Prada, Versace, Dior, D&G and Burberry.

(listed at $3500)

(Notice the tell-tale striping)

Gronquist used counterfeit scarves to cover these items, as is clear from the close-ups. (Louis Vuitton never made scarves with that striped effect, but they’re common in fakes.)

(Again with the striped scarf- this one sold for $3500)

(Artillery Shell- this one sold for $800)

(Blinged out Multicolore Murakami)

(No comment on the LV antlered Gazelle)

Hmmm, wonder if Louis Vuitton’s gonna send Gronquist the same love letter that they sent Nadia?

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