On the occasion of the launch of the Fall 2021, Carhartt WIP collaborated with London-based artist Lucas Price, who created three hyperrealist oil on canvas paintings, to show some items from the collection and discuss the work of art mercification.
Carhartt WIP’s garments become an instrument at the service of a very refined painting technique, which highlights the roughness of Dearbone canvas, the softness of cotton and the stiffness of denim. Price, who also curated the Spring 2021 campaign for Carhartt WIP under the pseudonym of Clay Arlington, has his most recognizable style in the hyper-realist technique, creating paintings of everyday objects such as pins or basketballs, of which it is possible to feel the material.
The works, after being made in London, were moved to Berlin for the photo shoots, in an industrial set among bubble wrap, trolleys and wooden packaging, ready to be moved and shipped. The concept wants to draw attention to the manipulation of art by galleries.
The first work is a sort of still life, with two bony hands holding the stems of two Icelandic poppies – one of the artist’s favorite flowers together with roses -, almost made of scarlet red tissue paper. The petals and the flower stalk stand out on an arctic coat by Carhartt WIP, with the brand’s logo clearly visible on the top right.
The second work, in the country shots leaning precariously on a blue trolley, depicts a body in the half-light illuminated by a Caravaggio-like light that brings out the red carpet and drape in the background. Once again the strongest color is the red of the jacket, combined with the double knee of which you can see the variations of fabric and the volume of the denim.
With the same palette Lucas Price also painted the third canvas. Pearls and gold necklaces, this time stand out among the metallic folds of the fabrics, while the painting seems to have been forgotten in a warehouse, surrounded by packaging protections and wooden crates for the transport of the canvasses. Is significant the write “fragile”: a message directed to the world of art galleries.
