My work is a response to American consumer culture. Since art and consumer culture are intrinsically entwined, the subject has become my obsession. This piece is a statement about the value we place on objects in contrast with value we place on humanity. When I researched the paintings which sold at auction for the highest sums, I was struck by the unfathomable prices for these exceedingly rare objects and noted that most were portraits. It is worth noting that each of the artworks was crafted by humans identified as geniuses (not in factories), and command those sums because there is a demand by the ultra wealthy to possess the rarest of objects. My subject mimics the pose of Botticelli's Young Man Holding A Roundel, which recently sold for $92.2 million. The model is my husband and father of my children, as he cradles a round portrait of a plastic T.Rex figure. The T.Rex, pop culture icon and ultimate consumer, has long been a symbol in my work for the frivolous objects we seek.