Thursday Salute to Originals: Monetary Collages
Have you ever asked yourself, other than an exchange of value or payment for goods and services, how else is monetary currency valued? According to the San Francisco Bay area artist Joey Colombo, money or dollar bills are his primary form of artistic expression!
“I liked the fact that currency is used as a control mechanism but also a tool to get places and things. We all use currency to live. I’ve taken something of control and made it my own.” Colombo is inspired by people, music, and art which is highly evident in some of his collages featuring celebrities like Kanye West.
A collage can take anywhere from two to forty hours to complete from start to finish. It depends on the cut of each piece involved in creating the collage. At the start of his collage creations, he simply used American currency until he began to receive international notoriety. Then Colombo started receiving currency from other countries to use due to his newly found recognition. He is only one of nine artists that use currency as a medium!
Colombo is an artist that has not had any formal training. He began doodling on money as a hobby and it evolved into sophisticated currency collage artworks provoking thoughtful conversations and good energy. More recently, he has worked on collaborations with Steve Aoki and has opened a gallery in Berkeley, California.
Today, we are saluting Joey Colombo and his currency collage series! His work is eccentric and significant thanks to his multiple cultural and social influences!
Sources: Joey Colombo, Nakid Magazine, Bored Panda Art