LITERAL 15
The Price of Luxury / El precio del lujo
It is said that since man became man, luxury has been part of his life —from primitive to hypertechnological societies— nothing can replace our impulse toward festive “representations” of superabundance. Whether as a hierarchical symbol or as a tool against profit and utilitarianism, luxury has been a recurring subject for the most perceptive and the most prosaic minds, from Veblen to Coco. This issue of Literal dedicates a few pages to the this theme in the midst of one of the most acute crises that has faced our societies in recent history. We know that in these circumstances any presentation of this theme might appear suicidal, but in an effort to be true to the mission with which we began Literal, we continue to reflect on the questions that move and touch man. In this winter issue we examine the historical, philosophical, and economic considerations of luxury through the work of Christopher J. Berry, Margo Glantz, Yvon Grenier, Annie Leibovitz, and The Readymade.