Consumption Symbolism and Meaning in Works of Art: A Paradigmatic Case

Abstract

This article examines the relevance of marketing and consumption phenomena to the interpretation of meaning in works of art. It suggests that, in general, consumption symbolism can contribute to the meaning of an artwork and that, in particular, consumer behaviour does work in this manner in at least one paradigmatic case example — namely, Painting Churches by Tina Howe. After tracing the symbolic use of consumption in that illustrative play, the paper concludes that this focus represents a potentially fertile area of enquiry and that, in this spirit, we should “Ask not what Art can do for Marketing and Consumer Research, but what they can do for Art.”