Why does a 6" piece of inked green cotton-linen, part bacteria, part cocaine, with dead president heads hold any value in exchange? Why have diamonds become de facto precious stones in wedding rings? And why do humans pay exorbitant sums of wealth to acquire works of art? Often taboo and misconceived topics in contemporary societies, money and value are increasingly significant topics in our charged and dynamic era of rapid consumption.
As bedrock concepts representing faith and trust, perceptions of money and value have wildly shape-shifted around human desire and sentiment. While value is a linguistic and behavioral abstraction—a belief system of exchange conveying worth, trust, and social bonds—money is a notable technological artifact of civilization. Its roots lie within consumption/luxury, politics/war, ethics/greed, debt/control, obligation/guilt, prosperity/innovation, status/privilege, and class/wealth. (continued below…)
Philosopher Adam Smith argued the origin of human thought and development of language stem from an innate desire to trade; Friedrich Nietzsche further suggested the psychological effects of selling, buying, and value calculation predate the beginnings of social structure; both believed the benefits of commerce are what led to the creation of markets. In a multitude of ways, from benevolent to nefarious, exchange guides nearly every social, economic, and political transaction. As civilization progresses toward cashless societies where systemic debt, unsustainable expenditures, and “easy money” are effortlessly broadened and convoluted, the arc of history dictates deterioration of currencies in tandem to breakdown of trust in political leadership and socio-economic institutions. Which begs the question: what fundamentally consigns to money the desirable traits which drive psychologies and global communities? How is the mercurial concept of value determined, what forms express it, and how do societies adopt it?
Here I present a diverse array of historic and contemporary tangible objects, some long-defunct and lost to history, others still relevant and quite valuable, even technologically novel and esoteric in concept. By suspending each object against deep black using diffuse light isolates focus and brings attention to each item’s form, shape, and intrinsic ambiguity. What emerges is a compelling array of objects from civilization's tumultuous and volatile pursuit of commerce, expression of beauty, wealth preservation, and speculation on intrinsic worth.
Earnest thanks and recognition for the organizations and individuals that supported this project: Museum of American Finance, American Numismatic Association, Edward C. Rochette Money Museum, National Archeological Museum of Athens, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Heritage Auctions, Glenn P.