The Moshpit Never Lies  

2019 Oil on Italian Linen 100cm x 180cm

They queue. 

For “limited edition” sneakers. For plastic toy figurines. For the privilege of even entering a desirable store to ogle the confectionary of brands. All for products mass produced in factories that pay their workers the minimum wage, or less.

The psychology of collecting is primal. Some collect for the thrill of the hunt. For those it is a quest, a lifelong pursuit destined never to be completed. For many it provides psychological security of a safety zone, a place of refuge where fears are calmed and insecurity managed. 

And don’t the companies know it. When “limited edition” exists only because a marketing manager deliberately curtailed production to create the impression of shortages, is it in fact limited? Or is this lie an exploitation of human weakness in a triumph of branding? 

Who cares? Not those in the queue. When the doors are finally opened, the melee is on.