We talk to the innovative British artist about her brand new exhibition, which aims to redefine our perception of luxury objects
Who? Anna Lomax describes herself as a "London-based maker and collector," but considering the breadth and diversity of projects she has put her name to, this prescriptive subheading scarcely seems to cover it. Her work spans set design, installations, photo shoots and fashion campaigns, with each bearing her characteristic offbeat stamp, allowing pop culture and colour to run riot.
First and foremost, Lomax is a collector, dusting both her home and studio with an eclectic but cohesive assortment of objects that she has compiled over years. "I have big collections that inspire my work," she says. "Normally they are based around texture, or material things that have a sense of humour." Her collection is perpetually growing. "There is always something new that I want – I'm a hoarder!" she says. "But the one thing I had drooled over for years was a Sottsass Casablanca unit, and I bought it earlier this year. It's in my living room; I feel like I'm living in MoMA."
She's also collecting finishing touches and accoutrements for the house of her dreams. "I would really like my own bathroom to decorate," she continues. "I have gold swan taps, the same as Jayne Mansfield's from her Pink Palace, and I want to be able to have a marble and pink bathroom for them to live in."
What? Alongside dreaming up bizarre and brilliant sets for Kenzo, Vogue and the Tate, Lomax has a string of personal projects, of which her new exhibition Luxury Goods at London's KK Outlet is the culmination. The show explores the concept of luxury in all its guises, challenging her viewer's understanding of authenticity through unexpected material collaborations. "I like a really good fake," Lomax confesses, "be it out of context, like the Louis Vuitton wastepaper bin I own, or the 90s fake Versace jacket I have that's so well made you'd never question whether it had come straight out of Gianni's hands."
Why? Lomax specialises in "odd pairings," as she describes them, and most recently her pursuit has led her to look at mass manufactured objects in a new light, recreating authentic models from her archive in new materials. "It's almost like creating a fake of one the pieces by upgrading or downgrading its material status." As such, Luxury Goods will contain several pieces in which conventional materials have been swapped out. "There are lots of experiments in the show that I'm really excited about," she says. "I hope viewers find one of the pieces sparks an idea or makes them remember a time or place, and reminds them that a luxury object might be right in front of you in a place they didn't think to look."
Luxury Goods runs at London's KK Outlet from September 4-26.
