Artwork
Five Seconds
Five Seconds is a print by Alexander McQueen. It dates from 2001 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
This print is called Five Seconds, created by Alexander McQueen in 2001. It's a digital print that falls under the nude visual genre.
The image shows everyday clutter with an unexpected item in the middle, conveying humor and surprise. This contrasts with the glamour of McQueen's fashion shows.
To learn more about the artist behind this unique print, look up the artist: McQueen, Alexander.
Overview
Five Seconds is a 2001 digital print created by fashion designer Alexander McQueen. Produced as part of a limited-edition box set released by SHOWstudio, the work presents a domestic scene cluttered with everyday objects, centered around a bright orange phallic form. The composition juxtaposes the banal with an element of visual surprise, inviting a momentary pause for the viewer.
Subject & Meaning
The image captures a typical interior setting, its ordinary items rendered with a casual realism that is interrupted by the conspicuous orange object placed at its core. This unexpected inclusion generates a humorous tension, challenging expectations of refinement associated with McQueen’s runway aesthetic and prompting reflection on the overlap between private life and public spectacle.
Technique & Style
Executed as a digital print, the work employs a straightforward photographic approach, emphasizing clarity and detail over manipulation. The color palette is muted except for the vivid hue of the central object, which draws immediate focus. The visual language aligns with contemporary nude‑genre photography, using everyday clutter to frame the subject rather than elaborate staging.
History & Provenance
Five Seconds was issued within a curated collection of prints and photographs assembled by SHOWstudio in 2001. The box set gathered contributions from a diverse range of creators, including photographers, musicians, and designers, intended as an exclusive archive of contemporary visual culture. McQueen’s print remains documented as part of this limited edition series.
Context
The inclusion of McQueen’s print alongside works from various creative sectors reflects SHOWstudio’s aim to document the intersections of fashion, media, and art at the turn of the millennium. By presenting a mundane domestic tableau, the piece comments on the everyday realities that exist behind the high‑profile fashion presentations for which McQueen was known, situating the work within broader dialogues about celebrity and the ordinary.
Artist & collection
Artist
Lee Alexander McQueen was a British fashion designer and couturier. He founded his own Alexander McQueen label in 1992 and was chief designer at Givenchy from 1996 to 2001. His achievements in fashion earned him four…
