I have a problem where when I see an iPhone 6 in public I feel attracted towards it. I want to touch the rounded corners and feel how flat it is. In other people’s selfies I look at the back of the phone to see what model of iPhone it is and feel some kind of satisfaction when I see that it’s a 6. I got one but it doesn’t give me the same pleasure as seeing a photo of it on a giant billboard, floating through a white expanse. Looking at other people using one is also more satisfying than using mine myself. I don’t know how to turn this attraction off. The button got implanted in my brain and now when I see really hi-res photos of that aluminum surface it gets pressed and I’m flooded with a rush of warm, anxious desire. It makes sense that one of single most valuable entities in the world would warp my mind and body in this way. It’s like a black hole of wealth, attracting more and more of itself towards it.

Thinking about Sandy Plotnikoff’s show VVHAT helps me to process and understand this marketing power. Made out of the materials that reference capitalist surfaces–foil stamping from brand new boxes; sticky, shiny decals; paint skins–VVHAT presents a visually attractive force that is also repulsive in its effects. Viewing it is a physical experience that provokes impressed surprise (what?! is this?) but also frustration (what!! why can’t I look away).