Irreverence? Priceless.

There's a MasterCard ad in my April Vogue offering a chance to win a portrait by Julian Schnabel. Initially, I found it sad. An artist selling out—all that jazz. After processing the initial shock, I've decided it's actually pretty cool. He's kind of spitting at convention—toying with our perception of art. Isn't all art essentially commercial?

I opened the little ad's 3D envelope like a kid digging for the prize in a Kracker Jack box. I would feel awkward staring at a portrait of myself; I'd rather it be of my cat, Phoenix. I think Julian might actually appreciate that gesture of slight absurdity. Alas, I didn't win. I suppose I'll have to find another way to immortalize my feline friend.