Money Talks & Face Values

Arising out of the artistic work entitled Face Value, and Money Talks was conceived in order to show the power of what money can do. Photographs of scenes from the varying countries were superimposed behind and in front of the bank notes. The translucent blue or red was chosen to achieve the stained-glass effect of the work to create an inspired look at the best achievements and intentions of humanity. Although the United States was not represented, at the finish of her work the artist decided that it looked like Fifth Avenue at lunch time, the Great American experiment, all the peoples of the world coexisting agreeably and peacefully side by side. Along with the Artists inspiration for creating these pieces of work, it is the Artists tribute to fellow artists, engravers and designers whose depictions of bank notes and history have given their currencies an educational as well as a monetary value.

Face Value is a portrait of the Money of at least sixty different countries. The actual currency was placed directly onto the Artist’s color laser photocopier. Embassies and national almanacs were used to research into who the faces on each bank note were. The appearance of each of the five sections of this artwork was determined by the aspect of the faces themselves and the artistic decision as to which ones could keep each other company, either by what they had done for their country or by how they related to each other politically and socially.