Mark Wagner: IOU Made of Money
on Saturday, November 7, 2015Money collage artist Mark Wagner asking the question – if you create a work of art (titled I.O.U.) from money, is the debt considered repayed? Mark Wagner said:
“If you make an IOU out of money for a friend, do you still owe them money?” — Mark Wagner
In this quote, Mark Wagner seems to be posing a philosophical question about the nature of debt and the role of currency. By asking if an IOU (I Owe You) made from physical money still constitutes a financial obligation, he’s prompting consideration of how monetary instruments represent value. Some key points in his question:
- Money is generally used to settle debts, but what if the money itself becomes the IOU or debt instrument?
- Does tearing a dollar bill transform it from a store of value into an acknowledgment of a favor or loan between friends?
- If currency is just a social construct without intrinsic worth, as his previous quotes suggested, does manipulating its physical form change the underlying financial agreement?
Overall, Wagner appears to be exploring how monetary transactions are symbolic exchanges, challenging notions of money as an absolute measure of debt. The quote encourages thought on where obligations reside – in the physical currency itself, or in the social relationships and agreements between individuals.