Heralded as the ultimate collaboration, Anesthesia: The Art of Oblivion featured 36 works from internationally acclaimed artists Billy Morrison and Plastic Jesus (12 new works by Morrison, 12 by Plastic Jesus, and an additional 12 pieces created between the pair), ranging from paintings to large-scale installation pieces. Co-sponsor Aston Martin displayed their 2017 range of luxury cars, and VIPs met the artists in the VIP lounge: a posh tour bus parked out back.

Rebellion, resistance, and escapism have become synonymous with the plight of our contemporary culture. Absorbed with the constant influx of stimulation and curated excitement of other people’s lives, we have become numb to the reality of the world. The distractions that we surround ourselves with from social media to retail therapy to gossip magazines and the destruction of our environment have set the art world teetering on a precipice – one that international artists Billy Morrison and Plastic Jesus walked along during their weekend long event. The resulting pieces were a visual assault that dropped us back into reality, using contemporary distractions as a way to pull us back into the world we actually inhabit.

Held at Gibson Brands Sunset (the old Tower Records store) on Sunset Boulevard, Anesthesia: The Art of Oblivion confronted the dubious nature of notoriety, losing ourselves through our vices, and used these experiences to create escapes within popular culture through art.