Mark Wagner: Destroy Dollar Bills
on Tuesday, January 21, 2014Mark Wagner Money Quotation saying the value of his paper collage art is altered by the currency paper used to create it. Mark Wagner said:
“The taboo around destroying a dollar bill makes people pay more attention to what … I’m doing than if I was using any other piece of paper” — Mark Wagner
Mark Wagner seems to be making a statement about how taboos or controversial acts can draw more attention than conventional behaviors. By destroying a dollar bill, which is generally seen as unacceptable to damage, he knows it will provoke a stronger reaction from viewers than if he was manipulating a normal piece of paper.
The taboo or social prohibition around harming currency means people will pay closer attention to his actions simply because it breaks an established rule or norm. His point appears to be that violating expectations or societal restrictions is an effective way to command notice and focus observers on one’s message or artistic expression.
The quote suggests controversy itself can be an attention-grabbing tool for artists.