JUMEIRAH

Can luxury help us?

Skin On Skin, Stone On Stone, 2013
Exotic skins and stones
Unique works
Various sizes
© Mark Humphrey

COLLABORATOR
Jumeirah

LOCATION
Park Lane, Mayfair, London, UK

“SKIN ON SKIN, STONE ON STONE IS A SOLO EXHIBITION DEVELOPED FROM A FASHION LABEL’S CATWALK INTO A HOMEWARE COLLECTION AND BOUTIQUE, BRINGING THE WORLD OF ULTRA-LUXURY INTO DIRECT CONFRONTATION WITH HUMAN SOCIETY AND THE NATURAL WORLD.

THE COLLECTION EXPLORES THE MATERIALS, CRAFTSMANSHIP AND DESIRE ASSOCIATED WITH LUXURY – EXOTIC SKINS, PRECIOUS STONES AND HIGHLY CRAFTED OBJECTS – WHILE ASKING WHAT LIES BENEATH THEIR BEAUTY AND VALUE. MATERIALS TAKEN FROM NATURE BECOME OBJECTS OF DESIRE, WHILE THE OBJECTS THEMSELVES BECOME REFLECTIONS OF THE SOCIETY THAT CHOOSES TO POSSESS THEM.

THE CONFRONTATION IS DELIBERATE. LUXURY SITS BETWEEN HUMANITY AND NATURE. WE EXTRACT, TRANSFORM AND REFINE THE NATURAL WORLD TO CREATE OBJECTS THAT REPRESENT WEALTH, STATUS AND SUCCESS. YET THE MORE VALUABLE WE MAKE THESE MATERIALS, THE MORE WE CAN DISTANCE OURSELVES FROM THEIR ORIGINS AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF OUR DESIRE FOR THEM.

THE WORKS QUESTION WHETHER LUXURY CAN BE MORE THAN CONSUMPTION. CAN EXCEPTIONAL CRAFTSMANSHIP CREATE LASTING VALUE? CAN BEAUTIFUL OBJECTS MAKE US THINK DIFFERENTLY? CAN THE LUXURY INDUSTRY USE ITS INFLUENCE, MATERIALS AND CREATIVITY TO BENEFIT PEOPLE AND THE WORLD AROUND US?

THE COLLECTION DOES NOT REJECT LUXURY. INSTEAD, IT TURNS LUXURY BACK ON ITSELF – USING THE VERY LANGUAGE OF DESIRE, RARITY AND EXCESS TO QUESTION WHAT WE VALUE AND WHY.

SKIN ON SKIN. STONE ON STONE. NATURE BECOMES LUXURY. LUXURY BECOMES SOCIETY.”

Mark Humphrey