http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/arts/cash-artwork-sells-for-21350/story-fn9d3avm-1226126777761 Here is an interesting story about what appears to me to be a regular stack of cash that was sold at an auction for more than face value because it was considered to be "art." Any opinions? Anyone want to become an artist?
You know your a hack when you cant even get $20 000 for $20 000. "As the opening lot of the Deutscher and Hackett auction, a single wad of $20,000 cash - an artwork called Currency - was sold for $17,500. When the 22 per cent buyer's premium is added, the total cost comes to $21,350."
Oz is a funny place at times. Then again, we're no slouches when it comes to weird taste in art......
The way I see it, the artist is a genius! It wasn't his money. The article says he got a grant of $20,000 to do the artwork. So instead of really doing something artistic and spending his time doing so, it took him a few minutes to go to the bank, get $20k in cash and call it art. It would have been fraudulent if he had just kept the cash from the grant, but by selling the cash as art, looks like he gamed the system just a bit.
Well cash is cash but how about forking out big bucks for this: http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2007/jun/13/art
With pieces of art like this, it both makes sense and doesn't make sense. There is no fine line, which is part of why it's called art. It makes you look and it makes you think. Even though I'd personally just have tried to buy it for under face value and make profit.
I would agree with "genius " -- he's generated a ton of free publicity, his name is in the auction catalog and we're all talking about him. Every artist's dream! And worth way more than $20K in media dollars.
Now, what happens if the 'art' is disturbed? I'm not an art expert by ANY stretch, but isn't the part of the 'art' part the way it's stacked? Or is it just two straps,? Does one have to be on top of the other...etc??? If it is strictly 'art' due to the exact placement of the straps (and with the way the auctioneer is looking/handling them, it seems to be a part of it's classification as artwork), is it ruined if it's disturbed? Called 'Currency'.....if placement is of no consequence, I think the 'artist', if you can call him that, is a genius. I'd be looking for $20,000 grants and putting two straps together and sell them for that much all day....perhaps smaller straps could go for more....??? It's ridiculous to begin with, but ...... Some people will buy anything.
Must have been sold at one of those snooty art shows. You know, the kind of show where the ladies all walk around with their nose in the air. As long as you have stacks of brand spanking new bills you could probably pull it off again. Some people like other people to see them spend their money. I learned that in a psych class.
Here is my idea of money art! I actually put some time in framing these, and making the cutouts. What the original artist did was not unique! You can google a thousand photo's of stacked notes? Even Warhol would of painted a unique day glow can of soup on the notes? Mine is a statement of a left brainer in action. BTW: I have these doted all over the house The wife loves them, even though I bad mouth the Federal Reserve Banking System all the time...
