REACT+JAVI+MEDINA+baja

CASH RULES
EVERYTHING
AROUND ME
The appeal and power of money are the issues at the core
of this series. In a capitalist society cash rules everything.
Society teaches us that you can buy love, happiness, and
status through possessions. You can even right wrongs by
taking away a bit of someone’s happiness through fines and
lawsuits. Politicians buy votes through claims of lowering
taxes, in other words letting us hold on to a little more of
status… upper, lower, upper-lower class. Income tax, sales
tax, and property tax all fund the war on terror, war on
drugs, war on poverty, war on morality, etcetera. In fact, our
consumer pursuit of happiness is the cause and solution for
all of these wars.
So in order to convey the allure of cash, I relied on the aesthetic qualities of the bills. Detailed
decorative engravings, masterful portraits and architectural renderings, and elegant
fonts create a decadent allure. I further the effect with folds and twists to abstract the
imagery and create a collage of wonderful images.
Folding the bills has another purpose to create narrative. The folds are precise and calculated
in order to convey messages amidst the appeal of the abstracted imagery. The
messages are political in nature ranging from local issues directed at rebuilding New
Orleans with phrases like Unite NOLA and Home is a Tent. The proceeds of this photograph
go to UNITY of Greater New Orleans to help out with the homeless crisis in our city.
Other messages relate issues of terror and war with State of Fear and Hunt for Oil. While
others deal with religion, God is American, and politicians, Trust No One. Then there is the
ultimate praise of money in a capitalist world as The American Idol.
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