The SPRING/BREAK Art Show kicks off in New York City today with 80 curators presenting projects by over 100 artists, but there is one project in particular that has the Internet buzzing. Brooklyn-based artist Dustin Yellin, who recently worked with the New York City Ballet to create a large-scale installation of glass sculptures in their lobby, and artist collective the Bazaar Teens created eight paintings using $10,000 that he received as an anonymous donation. Yellin says that the bills were withdrawn from the bank in 20s, 50s, and 100s and were then sent through a wood chipper. The shredded bills were then applied to "emulsion-covered canvasses with tweezers" so that the money literally formed the art.
In a phone interview with the artist, Observer learned that each of the eight paintings made with the money will cost $10,000, and the proceeds will go toward grants for students in the arts. "You can view it as a painting, or as potential for a graduating senior," said the artist. Observer points out that artists can acquire shredded money from the Federal Reserve, but that Yellin and the Bazaar Teens shredded the money themselves, which led to debates about the "ethical quandaries" of the project.
"We are interested in tracking how value is performative, and if the destruction of the money has been recouped if it becomes a physical artwork on the wall," Yellin said. "The intention to be charitable; does it increase the value? Or will a collector see buying a piece of art as an act of charity?" We've seen some pretty sick money art in the past by artists, such as Mark Wagner and tattoo artist Scott Campbell, but we doubt that many of the others were made with $10,000, and they were definitely not for the same charitable cause.
Check out the SPRING/BREAK Art Show between now and March 8 to see Yellin's work and tons of other great art.
[via Observer]
