When I think of “decadence” I think of things sinful – such is the power of early training to continue to stifle thought, experience, and enjoyment throughout life. The first definition of “decadence” in most dictionaries refers to “moral or cultural decline.” In the 1880s the word was used to describe disparagingly a group of French poets who espoused art for art’s sake in opposition to the moral and social concerns of European realists.Another definition is “luxurious indulgence.” “Sensuous pleasure” is another. Oscar Wilde comes closest to describing my intention for this exhibition. “Classicism is the subordination of the parts to the whole; decadence is the subordination of the whole to the parts.”
