Jonathan Paul (aka Desire Obtain Cherish)

Working under the alias Desire Obtain Cherish (D.O.C.), Jonathan Paul emerged as a street artist in the early 2000s. Merging street, pop, conceptual, and appropriation art, D.O.C.’s cast resin sculptures are marked by a subversive edge, satirizing status symbols and revealing a commerce-driven social conscience. A stint at an advertising agency helped D.O.C. understand the psychology of communication and contributed to his marketing-driven ideas and artistic style, which boasts a glossy, modern finish and unexpected juxtapositions. His “Designer Drugs” (2013) series, for example, addresses the concept of a “shopper’s high” by featuring luxury brand logos on pill packets. “Heresy’s Cross” (2013) consists of crucifixes made of melting Hershey’s chocolate bars; the series calls attention to contemporary objects of worship.