Glass Onion
If you saw Glass Onion’s Netflix premiere last week (spoilers ahead!), you may have picked up on the intentional yet subtle characterization of genius billionaire Miles Bron through the decorative aspects of his mansion, gardens, and more interestingly, the art he collects. Designed to be an overwhelming cacophony of styles and influences, Miles’ art collection reflects the film’s ultimate realization: he is no genius— no disruptor— but rather a wealthy buffoon whose taste is merely a vehicle to elevate his status. A particularly biting and appropriate satire exposing the reality behind some tech geniuses, Glass Onion cleverly touches upon an issue that often affects the contemporary art world.
The audience gets its first taste of Miles’ aesthetic choices when other characters arrive at a dock designed by Banksy. On the private island itself, he houses works by Basquiat, Degas, Rothko, Twombly, and so on. All of his works are meticulously placed throughout the living room, indicating Miles wants them to be seen, and makes the decision to display them, a strategic power play. Yet the ultimate act of power comes from his acquisition of the Mona Lisa. It sits in his living room encased in top museum security glass and steel, a result of early lockdown, which forced the Louvre to loan the work in order to stay afloat. Miles is merely doing them a favor, helping out in their time of need. In unveiling the work his guests are shocked and amazed, only further fueling his ego and confirming the power that can come with the ownership and display of art.
Production designer Rick Heinrichs constructed Miles’ world, which necessarily included classical and contemporary masterpieces among a large shirtless portrait of himself and a painting of Kanye West as a Roman senator, looming behind his dining table. Director Rian Johnson felt it was critical to display the works and engage with them in a way that confirms Miles thinks of them as possessions more than anything else. Surrounded by Jeff Koons lookalikes, Johnson and Heinrichs’ vision of what an entrepreneur billionaire’s taste in art would look like is hilariously accurate. The pair nailed their interpretation of Miles, stating that his lack of self-awareness was essential in defining his poor taste, whether as a result of being influenced by people who tell him something is cool, or because he thinks it will make him cool. Either way, Miles often misses the point of the work he acquires, treating them as objects that enhance his image yet point out the absurdity of his extreme wealth.
Detective Benoit Blanc, played by Daniel Craig, inside the home of billionaire Miles Bron.
Photo courtesy of The Wall Street Journal
The conversation surrounding the commodification of art is not new, with 2018 documentary The Price of Everything revealing the money-driven capitalistic conditions in which anything can be bought or sold in today’s society. Acknowledging the transactional nature of contemporary values and their relation to the art world today, the film features collectors, gallerists, dealers, and artists like Jeff Koons and Gerhard Richter- who happen to make appearances in Miles’ collection as well. The documentary’s title is taken from Oscar Wilde’s Lady Windermere’s Fan in which art collector Stefan Edlis notes, “There are a lot of people who know the price of everything and the value of nothing.” Miles is perhaps the perfect reminder of this, as he cultivates a collection that seemingly ticks off a list of famous art, relishing in the prestige it brings to his equally cultivated image. Although Miles is meant to be a joke, the fact remains that there are likely collectors who lean on the transactional power of their collections, pushing the expense they paid (and the fact that they could), rather than an understanding or admiration of the artist or work itself. With auction houses reporting record number sales each year and NFT’s making more than 25 billion dollars in 2021, perhaps one thing that will remain consistent is the mutual relationship between the art market and its wealthiest players- each one elevating the other through their respective resources.
from the desk of Madison Kelley
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Howcroft, Elizabeth. “NFT Sales Hit $25 Billion in 2021, but Growth Shows Signs of Slowing.” Reuters. Thomson Reuters, January 11, 2022. https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/nft-sales-hit-25-billion-2021-growth-shows-signs-slowing-2022-01-10/.
Scott, A. O. “Review: 'The Price of Everything' Asks $56 Billion Questions about Art.” The New York Times. The New York Times, October 16, 2018. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/16/movies/the-price-of-everything-review-documentary.html.
“The Price of Everything.” THE PRICE OF EVERYTHING. Accessed December 13, 2022. http://www.thepriceofeverything.com/.
Wilson, John. “In 'Glass Onion,' an Art Collection That Says 'Rich Jerk'.” The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company, November 30, 2022.
