‘U Get Me So High’: Dirt Cobain’s Thompson Ferrier Pill Bottle Candles will Persuade You The Highs of Life

On a warm September night, we made our way down Fifth Avenue to Maison 10’s showroom featuring a provocative new collaboration with rising artist Dirt Cobain. In collaboration with scented candle brand Thompson Ferrier, the creative concept of candle wax poured into the design of pill bottles doesn’t only make for great decoration, but carries a message behind it that’ll motivate you to oust any of it’s irreverence with wonder.

Controversial pill bottles

His controversial, yet iconic, pill bottle images appear on walls all over L.A. and now, street artist Dirt Cobain has brought his famous artwork to New York City. Often misunderstood for a drug reference, the pill bottle artwork is intended to represent anything that gives you a natural high. Wouldn’t it be cool to get ‘high’ without having to exploit illegal substances to get you there? According to the imagination of Cobain, we should be able to get high on anything in life; whether it’s love, music or art.

The candles collab have brought the uniqueness of L.A. street art into consumer’s homes, and a big triumph for Thompson Ferrier, who’s decided to co-brand their candles with edgy artwork for Cobain’s collaboration. U get me so high must be Cobain’s most celebrated work from his Thompson Ferrier collaborations, while others include I’m gonna need a Xanax for this, NY so high and Addicted to the game. Cobain’s messages upon the pill bottles are open for personal interpretation, a seeming excuse for his artistry to serve as a challenge to society; being high isn’t limited to drugs. We’re convinced that if art should make you feel something, these candles are a dripping reminder.

Fascinated by Dirt Cobain’s artwork, we tapped him at Maison 10’s showroom for insight on his vision, life as an artist, and the controversies behind selling ‘drug-inspired’ merchandise. 

How has living in New York shaped your artistic vision?

Dirt Cobain: I’m born and raised in California and lived in Los Angeles for a long time. When I first came out to New York City in 2016, I had a five-day vacation out here, but I realized I wanted more. So I packed up my car and I drove all the way from LA to Brooklyn and I have been hustling ever since. New York City is the greatest city in the world and every day, I feel inspired by this place.

Some people on social media are condemning the candles, saying that you promote drugs and that you’re capitalizing on the drug problem. What is your response to them?

Dirt Cobain: I’d really like to answer that question. I’ve struggled with drinking, drugs and partying. So it’s something that has always been a part of my life. When I do this art, I’m doing it for myself as a way of dealing with it. I’m trying to put a fun twist on a dark topic, because when I say ‘U Get Me So High’, that’s a representation for anything. That could be love, life, sex, music. It could be drugs or alcohol or whatever. But all I do is present the art with my internal vision of it and the way others embrace it, that’s on them. That’s what I want to do as an artist: creating art that’s open for people’s interpretation. I really don’t promote drugs. I’m just drawing pill bottles, whatever you think is up to you.

What’s next for you?

Dirt Cobain: I can’t really tell you what’s next. What I can say is that whatever I do next, it will always be something better than I did before. 

For more information on Dirt Cobain or his Thompson Ferrier candle collaboration visit: dirtcobain.com, thompsonferrier.com and maison10.com