From shootinggallerysf.com“As of last year, artist James Charles has been engrossed in an interesting new project; small in
scale…but large in depth. He began drawing on dollar bills, for the sake of his own amusement;
crudely altering the presidents’ faces to become monsters, celebrities, etc. After accidentally
spending a few of his early pieces, James decided to stop carrying them in his wallet, and
started putting them inside of a magazine for safe-keeping. The magazine folder eventually
became a large scrapbook, showcasing bills of all denominations. He found ink and materials to
match perfectly what the U.S. Mint uses on the bank notes, and began to experiment with ways
to alter the font and script along the bottom of the bills. It became the perfect way for James to
inject an additional layer of wit.
Altering currency in this way also poses questions regarding the true value of paper bills,
something made with seemingly insignificant materials – that somehow fuels our country’s evershifting
economy, and ultimately impacts living conditions around the globe. James has put a
wrench in the recirculation process by claiming his role as an artist, and declaring these specific
bills are not currency, but art objects.”
