VICTORIA MAY

And The Refinement of Their Decline

What do we require to feel comfort? What causes the “need” for luxury? Historically, sumptuous fashion or decor uses precious materials or ordinary ones that have been highly crafted or refined through human labor. How did these refinements come to be invented? What propelled people to transform simple needs for warmth, protection and comfort into elaborate embellishments? The fact that these refinements often stem from potentially abject substances, such as moth cocoons or sheep fur, creates a compelling tension between their source and their final manifestation.