Lawrence Weschler: Counterfeiting Arrests

Posted by admin on Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Lawrence Weschler Money Quote talking about the controversial money art of J.S.G. Boggs (who died this week at 62 in Florida) and was repeatedly arrested for counterfeiting while attempting to “spend” his artistic representations of money. Lawrence Weschler said:
 

 

“He could seem authentically dumbfounded whenever he got arrested for counterfeiting. He was just short of being a con man, but no more than anyone in the art world, or for that matter in the world of finance, which of course, was his whole point” — Lawrence Weschler

 

 

This quote seems to be commenting on the blurred lines between authenticity and deception in different fields like art, finance, and law enforcement. The man being described could convincingly act surprised and confused whenever he got arrested for counterfeiting money, even though it was something he deliberately did. So he was almost like a con man in how he presented himself.

The quote then draws a parallel, saying he was “just short of being a con man, but no more than anyone in the art world.” This implies that people in the art world also engage in a degree of deception or inauthenticity to promote their work. It further adds that the same is true “in the world of finance.”

The overall point, as stated in the quote, is that deception and blurred lines between truth and fiction exist to some extent in many fields, including art, finance and even law enforcement. Acting confused when facing the consequences of one’s own deliberate illegal acts could be seen as a kind of deception or con. And this kind of behavior is arguably no different from promotional tactics commonly used in other professional worlds like art and finance.

Lawrence Weschler: Paper Money as Art

Posted by admin on Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Lawrence Weschler Money Quote talking about the controversial money art of J.S.G. Boggs (who died today at 62 in Florida) and our understanding of the value of art and the art of money which Boggs explored. Lawrence Weschler said:
 

 

“What, precisely, is it that we value in art, or, for that matter, in money? How do we value one in terms of the other? Indeed, how do we place a value on anything at all? And, more specifically, how is it that we continue to redit the legitimacy of anything as confoundingly insubstantial as paper money?” — Lawrence Weschler

 

 

This quote seems to be questioning how we determine and assign value to different things in society, especially things that are not very tangible.

It first asks what exactly we value in art, and also in money. Both of these – art and money – are not very concrete or substantial in themselves. Money is just paper, and art is an intangible creation.

The quote then questions how we can value one (art or money) in terms of the other. If they are both not very tangible, how can we compare their values?

It further questions how we place a value on anything at all, since value is a subjective construct determined by humans rather than an inherent property.

Finally, the quote specifically wonders how we continue to believe in and accept the legitimacy of something as insubstantial as paper money. If money is just paper, how can it be a stable store of value and means of exchange?

Overall, the quote seems to be raising philosophical questions about the nature of value and how societies determine the worth of different things, especially intangible creations and representations like art and money.