On Collins Ave and 74th Street, Miami Beach, Frequent Shopper is on view through July 25, 2016.
Building on an ongoing project to up-cycle everyday packages for toiletries and other consumer objects by painting or “re-branding” them, Frequent Shopper spans both storefronts of the busy Walgreens, North and East-facing. Using painted graphics that extend the Deco motifs of the neighborhood, and other backdrops and props from the artist’s studio, Frequent Shopper transforms the storefront into a devotional space for the ritual pursuit of abundance: by shopping. Frequently. Often.
Pattern, color, and sublime geometries both obliterate and co-exist with the familiar forms of ordinary drug and dollar store containers. The installation highlights the magical quality of those containers to elicit consumer desire for health, beauty, vitality and allure. To take home the coveted magic potion, to experience the promised freedom in a bottle, the shopper must offer up some pocket change (or an electronic debit) – and, more elusive, his or her brand loyalty.
