The concept of luxury is ever changing—from era to era, and from person to person. For some, luxury exists in material form, as something to desire and long for, while for others it is more intangible, the attainment of time, space, peace and quiet. In issue 36 we speak with seven young artists and designers who play with opulent, excessive aesthetics as a way to question the world around them. Our cover artist, Maisie Cousins, discusses ideas around luxury and food, exploring consumption and gastronomy through the lens of desire, class and community. _x000D__x000D_In our Encounters section we meet German painter Katharina Grosse and Japanese photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto, and visit John Loker and Emily Mayer, the British artist couple who live and work in an intriguingly independent studio set-up. We also feature the paintings of Cristina BanBan and Jules de Balincourt in our two Paper Galleries, and catch up with the New Establishment, featuring interviews with rising stars Zach Blas and Summer Wheat. _x000D__x000D_In Journal, Hettie Judah discusses the notion of fully automated luxury communism, and Alice Bucknell explores the latest trend for luxury art spaces (on heat)—with shopping malls, galleries and concept stores all rolled into one.
