Shelf Obsession XII

Size:44 x 33 in.

Shelf Obsessions XII is a witty and meticulously constructed mixed media artwork by The Connor Brothers, measuring 39" x 28". The piece presents a neatly stacked selection of invented book spines, their muted vintage tones and decorative patterns evoking the charm of mid-century paperbacks. Yet, as always with the artists, the surface familiarity conceals a subversive intent. Each title is a playful, self-aware reflection on escapism, vice and flawed human reasoning – from “Beauty Is In The Eye of the Winchholder” to “Poor Decisions Make Great Stories”. The books form a visual archive of excuses, confessions and humorous cultural truths, arranged with an elegance that contrasts with the chaos of the ideas they contain.

The Connor Brothers, the artistic partnership of Mike Snelle and James Golding, have built their reputation on blurring the boundaries between fact and fabrication. Their work questions how we construct meaning and how easily we accept narratives when they arrive in appealing or familiar forms. Originally presented to the art world under a fictional backstory, the duo have always used storytelling as both subject and vehicle, revealing how truth itself can be curated.

Shelf Obsessions XII distils their practice: satirical, thought-provoking, nostalgic and sharply observant, it invites us not only to read the spines, but to recognise ourselves in them.