let's do drugs

Australian artist, Justine Cooper, has created a drug. She's also created a disease for it to cure. And according to cooper, it's not all that uncommon.

Cooper's drug, Havidol, claims to be "the first and only treatment for dysphoric social attention consumption deficit anxiety disorder, or DSACDAD."

The made up illness is much like Restless Leg Syndrome or Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, claims Cooper, that are diseases pharmaceutical companies claim they can cure.

Havidol, Cooper's fictional drug, just finished it's gallery stint in Manhattan. Complete with billboards, smiling people, and a t-shirt with a Havidol logo, the drug seemed much like an actual commercial.

Although it stirred controversy among consumers and especially with the large pharmaceutical companies, Cooper raises interesting questions about the pharmaceutical sector. What are they marketing to us? Are common ailments a creation of big business? Do I really have a disease? What the fuck am I taking?

via Holly Stocking [via The Scientist]

God Bless America

Miami based artist, Kate Kretz has been receiving national attention recently. Her recent work, displayed at Art Miami Jan 5-8, is entitled, "Blessed Art Thou". The 88" x 60" oil painting features Angelina Jolie as the Virgin Mary hovering over a Wal-Mart checkout line.

Priced at $50k, the controversial painting sold for more and according to Kretz's blog, the work "has been confirmed to be going to an important international collection."

I originally thought that it was a mural painted above an actual Wal-Mart check out line, but apparently my dreams weren't true. It still seemed to strike up some controversy though. Is it really a surprise Americans deify celebrities? If I tried any harder to look like Adam Brody, I could make a living off of it.