Americana jizz man-spreads across the floor. The transparent, minimalist representation of a penis ejaculates Marlboro packages across a mirror that I bought at Target for 17.99. The trail of spewed, commodified masculinity is the money shot. A money shot across a mirror being a trope of ameatuer gay porn videos. This money-shot of consumed masculinity is cliched and heavy-handed. There’s a bad-boyness to the amount of Marlboro packages that can read as contrived. Which it is. It’s exploiting the ideas of consumption of the ‘American bad boy’ identity ala James Dean or young Marlon Brando. A plastic “Have a Great Day” bag is squished at the base of one end of the piece. A stand in for a scrotum. A reference to capitalism’s aiding of hyper-masculine ideals through commodity. Also a jab at the commodity of the art brand. And since I just brought it up let’s talk about art as brand. At first glance, americana, jizz looks like a piece easily found in most modern and contemporary art museums. There’s a familiarity to its pieces and parts. There’s an air of masculinity that surrounds the movements and objects. “Earthworks”. “Minimalism”. “Pop Art”. All of these art movements are quoted here. The movements have become brands in themselves with specific aesthetics and focuses. These movements are also usually championed by cis-white, straight male artists. The materials they use becomes part of their branding. It’s hard not to see Robert Smithson within the use of mirrors. Or Robert Morris within the simple geometric forms. Or, Warhol with in the use of red and white branded commodities. (And I know that Warhol wasn’t straight but he’s a big part of brading within art.) These quoted art movements become mere clichés that I use. Clichés that are layered and layered upon one another until they become almost invisible like the coding in most advertised images.