Description
I have frequently incorporated Mao Zedong into my work, in spite of all the clichés. I always had great fun playing with it, but I was almost always seeking ways to convey social commentary.
This was an immediate intention when I first drafted ‘Mao Money’ in 2011. The work was a meditation on how the future of money might look very different to the ‘dollar-centric’ world we’re used to, as the Renminbi rose to record levels at that time.
That seems in fact quite prophetic today, when China’s central bank is trialing a digital Renminbi, and the cryptoverse is (still) predicting the death of the US dollar. The economics however at the time were very secondary to intrigue, as I sought to generate dialogue through my work.
‘Mao Money’ continues to generate curiosity and debate to this day, I think largely on account of the immediate impact the image still maintains. 2020 was one hell of a year for obvious reasons, none less than the future of economy. For the first time in generations, things we’ve taken for granted look all at once very different to anything that’s gone before.
And Mao still looks great on a $100 bill!
‘Mao Money’ (Red) Limited Edition of 11
38 x 55 cm Hand Pulled Screen Print
Archival inks on acid free, 300gsm fine art paper
Signed by artist, with Certificate of Authenticity
Editions are available in the following colourways;
Red (11)
Red/Yellow (offset) (6)
Red/Cyan (offset) (9)
Red/Blue (offset) (9)
Red/Yellow/Blue Wash (offset) (1)
Special Red (with Metallic offset) (2)
Green/Yellow (offset) (4)
Violet/Cyan (offset) (9)
