D - TAG

Dan Tague may not be the first artist to point out the central role money plays in American politics and culture, but few have used the currency itself to illustrate their argument so effectively. After his studio was ruined by the flooding which devastated New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Tague had a lot of time on his hands. He used that time and those hands to start folding dollar bills - and in doing so came across a new way of both expressing his frustration and making a political statement.

The many nuances associated with the dollar bill serve as an unrelenting source of inspiration for Dan Tague, who folds monetary engravings obsessively to reveal unexpected phrases including “The Kids Are Alright” and “Lest We Forget.” He photographs the origami currency on a black background and prints the photos in a large format (large enough that the Treasury Department can’t accuse him of counterfeiting). At the very core of this monetary narrative is the tug-of-war between politics and the pursuit of happiness. Tague addresses several of these very issues that are important to all of us: labor, civil rights, morality, conflict, and most importantly love.