Qu'ils mangent de la brioche, 2019

Found ladder, wheels, toile, gold leaf, porcelain, dye, found objects

This utilitarian ladder encrusted in a veneer of luxurious textiles and materials comes to depict social disparity through the decoration and obfuscation of a functional object. 

Toile is a sturdy linen textile that originated in France circa 1760.  Featured in the homes of the affluent for centuries, toile often depicts a gatherings of people in lush landscapes. Though the figures in the textile may appear to be aristocrats enjoying pastoral scenery, an alternative read proposes that the figures illustrate the aristocracy’s false impression of the easygoing life of French commoners.