Material World

Marc Quinn silk scarf for Selfridges

Art and fashion have had a notoriously long affair, with the former attracted to the glamour and glitz of the latter like moths to a flame, and the latter attracted to the former for the creative legitimacy it can bestow on an essentially commercial endeavour. But rarely has one actually crossed over into the territory of the other. However, as of this Christmas season, Marc Quinn – he of Saatchi Young British Artists, “blood head”, and Trafalgar Square plinth/disabled marble bust fame – is breaking the rules.

To be specific: He’s making his own accessories and clothing, and selling them at Selfridges. And he’s not hiding behind anyone else’s brand name. As far as I can tell, that’s a first for an artist.

Though museum shops have always sold commercial derivatives of the artists’ work that they show, and in the past, many high culture creators have been happy to “collaborate” with fashion houses – Takashi Murakami, Richard Prince and Louis Vuitton come to mind; Anselm Reyle and Dior – they’ve always done it under the aegis of the house or in the safety of the museum environment. Effectively, they are allowing their art to be used to either fund the high culture institution, or placed onto accessories that themselves are done by the designer, hence allowing the artist a modicum of distance from the crass business of clothing. The trade-off was clear: credibility (the artist wasn’t really selling out) for cash (the sacrifice was in getting a one-off fee, as opposed to all the profits). Quinn appears to be testing whether the compromise is worth it. In your face, ye high culture snobs!

It makes sense, on a personal level: Quinn has always been close to fashion, showing at the Prada Foundation, making a gold sculpture of Kate Moss. It’s not that big a leap from working with that world to working in that world.

Selfridge’s actually commissioned the line, which includes scarves, white gold jewellery, and T-shirts, and is limited edition, which makes it all the better for using as a trial run. If the opprobrium from the artistic community is not too great, and if the stuff sells out, my guess is we are seeing the first chink in a levee. Get ready for the flood.