Ted Stanke

Chapter 2: Making Money Instead of Art

2011-07-12T14:13:00.006-04:00

After a lengthy hiatus, I return to the Blogosphere with pictures of my newest work in progress: a giant penny made from actual pennies.

I stopped posting blog entries because I felt like I'd said everything I needed to say, and that the stories about my past provided ample material for new and old viewers to peruse and examine.Just because I stopped posting on my blog doesn't mean I stopped working on projects.

In fact, my newest project is a series that I believe surpasses in concept and execution everything I've created up until this point.

For the first time in my explorations, I'm using a specific object to create a modified version of itself: Meta-Art!

Creating coins from coins is satisfying on so many levels, the first and personally most important being that I have gained a great deal of fans based on the powerful coin series I produced in 2002.

By re-visiting the subject of coins, I am coming full-circle on a path that spans 10 years.

My skills have grown immensely, and our world has changed dramatically, so now the project has a cleaner look and a deeper significance.

My plan is to create all four coins again, but this time as two-sided objects.

Revaluing the money as larger versions of itself breathes new life into our sputtering economy, and gives hope to those who fear that money itself will be the cause of our extinction.
Stay tuned for more updates on this project.

Opening Another Toolchest/Earning Amnesty

2010-12-14T01:03:00.016-05:00

Sometime ago, I made some tools from chopped coins.

Recently, while browsing the web, I came across a page where I'd been featured. I could vaguely remember getting an e-mail months back from someone asking me if it would be okay to use my images, but I'd never actually seen the article.

When I clicked it I couldn't believe my eyes. Another artist had made some work strikingly similar to my own.

Was I intimidated? Did I feel threatened? No. Our approaches are completely different. If anything, I was impressed.

It's good to be part of a large, broad movement, whose existence in America is only possible within this particular era. Her name is Stacey Lee Webber, she's a jewelry maker by trade, and she even went so far as to obtain a document from the US Mint assuring her she could mess with money.

So there you have it: discouraged , but not penalized.

So I guess that throws a wrench into my plan to get arrested for chopping up coins and finally get the media to cover my art. That's how I'd planned to get famous.

I suppose it's back to the drawing board.

No, the "Adjustable Wrench" sculpture is not adjustable.

It's just art. And it's totally Legal.

Yes: one side is Heads and the other is Tails.

I'm not sure if I'll make more tools from coins, but I wouldn't be surprised if somebody else does.

Can It! (Slogan Parade)

2010-12-12T18:48:00.008-05:00

Here's the latest thing I've been able to finish.

Coke is it.

I used to drink this stuff when I was a kid.

Red, White and You.

I guess now instead of citric acid they use phosphoric acid.

Enjoy Coke.

My favorite part is the bottom of the can.

Dawn of a New Direction/sticking it to the world

2010-12-01T21:48:00.005-05:00

Looking out the window of my new studio in Brooklyn.

After 2 full years of chopping up coins to make artwork, I've amassed a worthless fortune in stockpiled scraps. Although technically money, this kind of thing is definitely not something that can be spent. What good is a nickel if it's only a speck? How many pieces of a penny does it take to buy a loaf of bread?
So I've decided to distribute the value into another project, in order that thousands of coin particles can merge together and form a priceless art object.

My approach thus shifts, as I begin to stick precut pieces to actual objects. It doesn't get any less toxic than this: Elmers Glue is my initial adhesive.

By building up rows of slivers, I've been able to create an ocean that resembles skewed stacks of nickels.

The land is made from pennies, fit together like a wall of stones.

Mountains are formed by sideways slivers of dimes and Quarters.

Inland bodies of water are denoted by tiny coin punchouts.

When ocean meets land, subtle interplay occurs.

I have been following the actual currents of the world when laying out these waves.

Using the globe as a template, I will continue until I've covered the entire planet.

To be Continued...

First Solo Exhibit of my Career as an Artist

2010-11-29T14:42:00.000-05:00

Click to Enlarge

Art Anniversary/Bookending a Body of Work

2010-09-12T22:44:00.007-04:00

2 years ago this month, I began experimenting with a new type of art involving cutting coins into pieces and using those scraps to build larger images. The first was political, and I made it during the build-up to the presidential election of 2008.
A few weeks later, I began work on mosaic, 36"x24", with which I wanted to document the shared human predicament of being defined by money from conception.
This piece was always meant to be the first of two similar mosaics, but I became overwhelmed with other project ideas and had to put the second part aside for a spell.

Now, at long last, I've returned to the project and I'm thrilled to say it's nearly completed.

The results could not be more pleasing.

I think I've definitely refined my technique, and have gotten much faster as well.

When I put the silicone onto this mosaic, a few unexpected chemical reactions took place.

Some really crazy cool colors appeared as the curing adhesive reacted with the many money metal alloys.

I had planned to go in later with a patina, but the Universe beat me to it.

Wildest is this brilliant magenta.

So how much money did I use?

Enough to eat for a week, on the right budget.

But not enough to pay a Wireless bill.

Anyway, it's only money.

They'll make more.

works in progress

2010-08-29T15:48:00.002-04:00

Although this blog has enjoyed a summer vacation, my artwork has not.
I've been working away on a mosaic to accompany another piece I made at the beginning of 2009, which was an embryo made from chopped money.

Both will be going to Wisconsin with me this October for a solo show at the regional arts center in my hometown.

Also, I'm working on a few other things....

...to be continued...

Spiraling into Control/Homage to Gastropods

2010-08-02T12:23:00.008-04:00

1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34,55...

When I decided to start making creatures from chopped coins, I did not take the task lightly. Nature is probably the most impressive thing on the planet, and if an artist is to emulate it adequately it takes a proper approach.

I polished my technique, spending hours and hours on a seemingly small object, and in the end I think I did justice to the subject, however, being fairly biased, who am I to say?

So I took the critique to the source, and tried to determine how my sculpture compared to the real thing.

Looks like a shell, but does it feel like a shell?

One out of two slugs agree, this artwork is worth experiencing.

Hopefully the gesture didn't go to it's head!

The last thing I wanted to do was cause a garden slug shell-shock!

In the end the two returned to their lives, leaving me to deal with the slime, which, incidentally, is not easy to remove.

Thanks to Jason Hamilton for being there to snap the pictures!

Big News for Old Art!

2010-08-02T11:06:00.006-04:00

My annual summertime blog vacation ends with two substantial developments for my some of my old artwork. I was recently contacted by a girl from my hometown who told me she'd purchased a sculpture at a garage sale and thought it might be one of mine. I asked for a picture, and here's the one she sent.
Sure enough, on the far left side of her shelf sits a sculpture I had given up on ever seeing again, which I had sold 10 years ago for $300 and only received $100 of that. The buyers disappeared without ever fulfilling their end of the bargain. Hmph. I've gotten over my frustration long ago, and am happy for this appreciative collector to have it instead.
The artwork depicts a fallen angel, and was created during a period in my art explorations when I was taking art history classes in college and began emulating artists of yore by making religious artwork. I figured Jesus was only one half of the story, and Satan deserved a portrait as well.
The artwork was originally displayed at a tavern in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, called Yesterdays, along with a few other sculptures, on the shelf behind the bar. This is where the "purchaser" saw and acquired the lost piece back in the year 2000.
Back when I was living in the area, I made friends with the owner and sold him most of the sculptures for the bar's permanent collection. These are funny and scary at the same time, and are perfect for the tavern's decor. It's very nice knowing where my old art went, and I told the current owner that she's lucky because it's definitely worth millions.
The second development involves a sculpture from around 2005 that I made and showed once in Berlin. A turn of events following a period of storage put the piece on display at the gallery of my old friend Pete Missing in the central arena of an historic art building called Tacheles.
The art was a dollarbill made entirely from army toys, and when I heard from a friend in Berlin that the place was getting shut down by the police and all the artists were being evicted. I immediately contacted Pete asking what had become of my art. I expected the worst and figured I'd never see it again.
Thankfully, he responded by telling me that in a last ditch evacuation effort, my art had been sold to a collector from Spain, for $1500 Euro, and my share of the proceeds came a couple a days later. It's sure nice to know that my efforts from many years ago are paying off right now.

Me gusta mucho!

Wing & a Prayer(praying that winging it will work)

2010-06-27T20:24:00.016-04:00

You're looking at the glint of artificial sunlight on the surface of a puddle of epoxy, a petroleum based adhesive, at my studio in Brooklyn. Encased within, tiny scraps of cut coins pay the ultimate price, suffocating forever within the hazardous fluid.
Fortunately, when I spilled epoxy onto the surface of these coin crumbs, I was able to correctly anticipate the size of the puddle in advance, and I protected the surfaces that were most at risk with a petroleum resistant fabric, scotch tape. The spill remained relatively minor, and was successfully contained.
My oil leak was a tale of miraculous triumph, as life itself emerged from the primordial ooze in the form of an insect wing. Suddenly, with the help of oft hated petroleum, I had managed to convert a bunch of useless tiny metal shapes into an undeniably better thing.

Using money in my art is a habit I first formed many years ago, however, the current phase of creating objects from money and epoxy started at this time last year.
During a visit to my hometown in May of 2009, I was inspired by an old friend who was making giant jewelry and putting it on buildings in Milwaukee. He was telling me I should make jewelry from coins, and I began to visualize a method by which I could create beads.
When I returned to NYC, I made a few prototypes. By this point in time, the idea had evolved beyond simple jewelry into something far more divine: I would make a Rosary from money! What a metaphor!
Having been raised Catholic, I am still capable, with the permission of a priest, of rattling off the necessary prayers to turn this Holy Trinket into a full-fledged forgiveness granting amulet. Like the Blues Brothers, I was on a Mission from God.
I had such a splendid success when creating these beads that I was able to envision making all sorts of other objects using the same method. My head was swimming with ideas, and what ensued has been a long year of riding this momentum during which I have produced dozens of cool things.

Now, in addition to the creation of new art, I am trying to finish off many projects that were started and never completed. With oil spewing stronger than ever off the coast of Louisiana with no guaranteed end in sight, I find myself realizing that the time to finish this uniquely Religious project has never been more urgent.

Unfortunately, forgiveness is not what will help us right now, no matter how penitent we behave. So let's pray instead to plug the damn leak!

Amen.

dusk of an empire: Molotov Shrimp Cocktail

2010-06-21T19:18:00.024-04:00

Ah, America, land of the Free Enterprise, Capitalism's Crown Jewel.

Recently, while obsessing over online news sites, I came across an article about an enterprising group of people affected by the unfolding disaster in the Gulf of Mexico who were trying to entice people to donate relief money by offering actual vials of oil from the coast of Alabama for donations of $25 dollars or more. I was compelled to complete the donation process immediately. You can visit the same website.
Only a few days later, a bubblewrapped package arrived in the mail. Inside, like a medical specimen or an illicit substance, was a tiny gob of crude oil, putting me face to face with something I think we all wish had remained inside the Earth. Absolutely disgusting, yet mysterious and powerful.
When the financial system collapsed in 2008, I reacted through my art by beginning to use chopped money exclusively. Now, almost 2 years later, I have a lot of tiny coin scraps that I've been planning to eventually transform into biological representations. The underwater explosion on April 2oth was the spark that has finally breathed life into this pending project.

As the gushing petroleum continues to prove poisonous, I will begin to focus my artwork on memorializing some of the creatures whose numbers will be falling in the months ahead.

Using money to capture these creatures is fitting, given that they've been destroyed by a profit-driven enterprise.

Without money as our mode of accomplishing things, these little crustaceans could have kept doing their thing for another billion years, but now they're forced to drastically reconsider their behaviors if they'd like to survive.

On a Capitalist Planet, the odds are stacked against the animal world, because it has no taxable income. These creatures are too poor to contribute to the GDP, so who needs 'em? Outta the way, animals, we've got CEO's to pay!

According to Capitalism, wildlife is counterproductive. Filtering out gunk from the bottom of the ocean should be left to Giant Corporations, who have the technology and the investor base to accomplish what lowly shrimp could never profitably provide. In the world of Big Business, free labor is only cost-effective if it comes from slaves, and Nature is not really easy to own.

Eventually, I assume, plantlife will be phased out as newer, more sophisticated machinery becomes capable of converting CarbonDioxide from the atmosphere into Oxygen which we can then purchase to release into an area of the environment of our choosing. Think of the jobs that defoliating the entire planet could provide!

These days, the stocks of shareholders are spiraling in every which direction, but when archaeologists dig us up, they'll never find the Dow Jones Industrial average.

On the plus side, maybe the life we are losing now will decompose under pressure providing cheap energy for a civilization millions of years into the future of the planet, assuming they're advanced enough to invent the wheel.

Maybe we need oil, maybe we don't. But I bet shrimp really wouldn't have cared had we not undergone an industrial revolution.
Now they probably wish we had stuck to farming.

Let's hope at least some survive... the world needs scampi!

True Value Vs. BP's Best Estimate

2010-06-09T17:07:00.005-04:00

I'm participating in the Crest Hardware Artshow in Williamsburg this Month. If you're in Brooklyn, come on down to see some cool art.

I'll be showing a couple of tools I made recently from chopped coins and epoxy.
Crest has been doing this for many years, and the publicity promises to be substantial. It's a setting that is a great alternative to a gallery, with the artwork being displayed amongst actual merchandise on pegboard.
The parameters of the open call asked for artwork to be "hardware themed" or made from materials found at a hardware store. I hit it perfect on both counts.

While I was working on this wrench, our current crisis was at a pivotal point a mile beneath the sea. BP was gearing up to use a tool of their own to try and gain control over their undersea blunder.
Their newest big idea? Cut the damn thing with a giant claw! Nothing about this seemed smart to me. They were planning to take a crimped hose and unscrew it from the spigot. Yikes!

So much for the East Coast....

our new era.

2010-05-24T12:24:00.002-04:00

This blog has observed a month long moment of silence to process the calamity which has been inflicted upon our planet by rich greedy oil companies.

Money, oil and power have always gone hand-in-hand, and we always knew it was wrong, but we really couldn't do anything to stop it from controlling our existences.

Now, the very corporations that have forced us to consume their oil are unable to stop it from poisoning the world.

If the subprime mortgage meltdown was a crisis, this is a catastrophe.

Nice job BP/Amoco, you pulled the plug on the America we used to be.

My heart goes out to the Gulf.

Hammer Time!

2010-04-27T13:13:00.005-04:00

Here's a sculpture I started some months ago and have just gotten around to finishing this week.

I never realized how boring hammers were until I created one of my own.

Yawn.

Gimmee guns anyday.

This kind of manual labor device is basically obsolete anyway.

Kids in 20 years will look at this object and have trouble naming it, I suppose.

But whatever. It won't be that big of a deal.

Advancement of civilization is good for us all.

Let's just hope we hit the nail on the head.

Pictures from a groupshow in Brooklyn: If you build it, they will come...

2010-04-15T13:24:00.007-04:00

I had a hand last week in organizing a groupshow at the gallery where I make my artwork in Brooklyn

It was an open call, via Craigslist, for art submissions of all media.

When we decided to try this, we didn't know if it would work, but went ahead anyway.

I am pleased to admit that the response was overwhelming.

Who would have thunk that New York City would be so full of artists eager to intermingle and hang their work.

And, unlike the galleries across the East River in Manhattan, we didn't pretend to know billionaires.

When the evening was through, nearly 2 dozen works of art were sold, commission free, to people attending the event.

I put in a few of my smaller works from recent years.

A Mac-10 Submachine gun, in progress, made from chopped money.

An iBook inset with a mosaic depicting a heart.

And from my Cardgame Project, the Ace of Spades.

The gamble paid off. They came in droves.

And it will only get better.

Join our Gallery on Facebook

the Nest Egg/Journey to the East

2010-03-31T11:20:00.002-04:00

2005: the first time I attempted to "build" an object from coins.

The methods were crude; I simply drilled holes and poked wires through them.

The imagery was simple: a nest and an egg. I created it upon returning from a trip to Japan.

The nest is American Pennies, the egg Japanese Yen.

I think it's a metaphor for our relationship with Japan...

...the specific details of which are open for individual interpretation.

Not long ago, our countries were sworn enemies, determined to destroy or conquer one another at any expense.

After we leveled Tokyo, they rebuilt it in the image of our own metropolis, but with one major difference:
they're much better at cooperating with each other than we will ever be.

The decades following the war saw Japan providing us with an accelerated advancement of electronic technology, sown from the seeds of our impressive atomic bombardment.

What I could never figure out was if America built the nest and Japan was the egg, who would the bird be?

China? Russia? Iran? Venus?

Your guess is as good as mine.

Itadakimasu!

The Game Goes On/ Playing for Keeps

2010-03-28T13:46:00.011-04:00

Holding all the cards in one's life is obviously not possible.

Making artwork requires freedom, and that can only come from funding.

Rising to the top of any circle involves a certain amount of persistence, as well as talent and luck.

It seems these days so many artists have achieved glory simply by learning to bluff.

In the artworld, the dealers seem to hold all the cards, while the artists are offered as ante.

This Card project represents for me more than anything an idea about how to escape the traditional method of selling art, to set up a steady income over a set period of time, and to broaden my exposure to a larger group of people than the gallery world would allow me to reach.

In addition, I wanted to make buying and selling artwork fun, by turning collectors into competitors.

We all have been dealt a different hand in life, and the art card is not one we all draw.

Making art for me is no longer a choice, but rather an inescapable inevitability.

I enjoy the patterns I see unfolding, in art as in life.

And I figure it's only a matter of time before somehow the choices I've made suddenly make sense.

Look to see a massive surge in the promotion of this monumental project in the coming months.

Check this blog often to see progress updates.

And be sure to visit the weekly auctions on Ebay to see how I'm doing.

My eventual goal? Some years from now, if "Name a Famous Artist" is a survey question on Family Feud, I want to beat Picasso by 20 or more votes.

Survey Says!?!

COMPLETION of Card Making Torrent: King of Hearts & 8 of Clubs

2010-03-27T16:26:00.008-04:00

A 2 week Card Making Marathon concludes with the highest facecard of the Deck: The King of Hearts.
I used George Washington's Face from a couple of Dollar Coins. This brings my epic, one year CardGame project to Auction 13, a quarter of the way towards the finish.

The Collector who won the King of Hearts also won the eight of Clubs.
Both Cards will be going to California.

My next mission is to make the rest of the deck over the next couple of months, so I can avoid falling behind as the auctions continue.

With proper promotion, I have very high hopes for this project, and would like to thank everyone who's playing along.

visit the current auction

5 of Diamonds

2010-03-24T22:20:00.006-04:00

My 10 day card making marathon continues.
Guess who won this one?

My Mother!

So far, she's the closest of all to winning the game.

The card will ship to Wisconsin.

The current auction has begun, and although I won't reveal the card until the auction is complete, this week's is a good one....

Visit the current card auction to cash in on the next great thing!

8 of Spades

2010-03-23T23:22:00.003-04:00

Another day, another card completed!
This one is going to Texas.

One of the true perks of having a name like TED STANKE is that when you chop up coins, you often nearly create an accidental signature.

Bid now on the current card Auction

5 of Hearts

2010-03-22T22:17:00.005-04:00

This week I will be posting images from the 5 cards I've been working on since last Sunday.

This one is going to California.

The auctions have restarted, and should continue uninterrupted until the last one is sold.

Please help me spread the word about this ambitious project by sharing it on Facebook.

I am looking forward to seeing this project grow to it's full potential.

See the original project announcement here

1 week and counting: March to the finish line

2010-03-19T23:30:00.004-04:00

Approximately 1 week has passed since I set out to catch up on my ambitious "Cardgame" project. My goal has been finishing the last 5 cards sold, so I can go forward with the 14th auction and the rest of the Game. These cards each take approximately 2 days to make, and are admittedly tedious.

The pattern on the backs of the cards uses 240 individually cut and set pieces of chopped dimes and pennies, nearly 2 dollars worth of change, per card. I punch holes and inset punch-outs into these holes to create the circle effect.

Finishing the reverse sides was only the first step, the next part involves cutting out the patterns for the faces.

I use a marker to draw out the correct suit and number, then I lift each piece separately and use a file to remove the extra material. It's not something I'd recommend trying at home.

The dashed lines let me refit the pieces after I've finished cutting out the shapes.

Whew! It's been a long week, and I'm almost ready to start the final steps. The card auction will resume this Sunday, at 6 pm Eastern Time, coinciding with the Spring Equinox. Happy playing!

Progress Report: Day 2

2010-03-14T12:52:00.004-04:00

Taking a cue from the career-minded artists of the world, I have approached this week's project as if I were an employee working for myself.

No excessive talking or chit-chat. No obsessive e-mail checking or internet usage. No long lunch break. I am a ruthless boss.

The effort paid off, however, and my self-slavedriving put me much closer to catching up and moving along with this project.

Today I hope to complete the backs and begin with the faces.

More updates will follow... and the game will soon resume.

1st quarter report/Dealing with it

2010-03-13T12:06:00.007-05:00

Sometime last year, I came up with a brilliant idea. It was a scheme to secure myself steady income for one year, and along the way to develop a great deal of press and publicity.

I committed myself to the creation of 52 works of art, 1 per week, to sell on Ebay to the highest bidder. It was a real gamble, but I felt confident that the rewards would outweigh the risks.
Now, one fourth of the way through the project, I am pausing to redouble my efforts and to catch up. I still have faith that this is a blockbuster experiment, destined to carve me a notch on the handle of art history, but I have to admit, it's been a lot less fun than I'd expected.
At an average price of around $100, and an average of 2 days effort to build, the whole thing has become sort of a drain on my time and budget. To complicate matters, I've fallen behind a few weeks in the creation of the cards, to the point where now I need make several at once to catch up and go forward. The final creations are mounted between 2 specific frames that I've had to scour Brooklyn to locate enough of.

During the course of the next week, I will post an ongoing series of updates while I make the following 5 cards: 5 of Hearts, 5 of Diamonds, 8 of Spades, 8 of Clubs, and the King of Hearts.
Whoever holds the best hand at the end of the game will receive the Joker card for free as a trophy. I will resume the auctions on Ebay as soon as I complete these 5 cards. Thanks everyone thusfar for playing!

Bit the Bullet/working for the man

2010-03-02T00:54:00.008-05:00

Recently, faced with the realization that I needed money, I found myself searching Craigslist for a job.

It's been a long time since I've had one, and the thought of it is hard to swallow.

The closest thing to freedom that we're allowed to achieve comes with owning our own hours. It's one of the few indulgences in life to which I've committed myself, and in this aspect, I've been spoiled enviably.

Only making art always: that's my ideal, and it's the life that I live.

Of course, making my own art is what I love most. It's the reason I exist. I am my own boss.

The only job I could ever stand would be making artwork for somebody else whose artwork I respect.

Well, this comes close: I've joined Artist Tony Matelli in his Brooklyn studio, and am eager to learn from the experience.
Tony's Work

build-up of stuff/Banking on Art

2010-02-20T12:09:00.004-05:00

I have a strange way of saving money.

And, unlike a piggy-bank, I don't have to smash it in to cash it in.

Anybody wanna buy some art? Financing plans available

Above Beverage Artwork/High Fructose Coin Syrup

2010-02-16T12:34:00.014-05:00

In Progress: a new exploration of Capitalistic Enterprise.
In a cutthroat corporate world, advertising is key. Their method: to Make money Take money.

Within my own twisted world, I've developed a different formula: to Make money Break money. It's counter-capitalistic in nature, yet the yield is impressive. My eventual goal is to create a comprehensive catalog of all our stuff.

No single object of the capitalist era has spread further than this one.

Most all recent warfare serves swiftly to pave the way for an influx of refreshment.

Teeth aside, it's a sweet, syrupy beverage, fizzy and tart.

How could we possibly imagine a world without this fantastic drink?!

the Gamble: Ace up my Sleeve

2010-02-09T22:24:00.007-05:00

A little more than 10 weeks ago, I made a costly bet.

The collateral I put forth was one year of my life.

In exchange for this: the promise of artistic notoriety.

The prize: a chance to survive from the making of art alone.

My dream: to build a vehicle with which I could escape from the unfair parameters with which we are dealt.

The goal: achieving freedom from the supposedly inescapable requirement that one must work for somebody else.

Only making art: that's what I want to do.

It's the one thing I can imagine the world could want from me.
Bid now: Card #10

Paleontology/ fossil record

2010-02-06T01:41:00.003-05:00

A dinosaur head built from junk, 2005. Extinct. Video has no sound.

more bang for the buck/Double Dog Dare

2010-02-01T18:54:00.005-05:00

Q: What could be better than a gun made from money?A: Another one!

These are never before seen pictures of a sculpture I made and sold in December.

While I was making it I cut a second set of parts to make an identical replica.

If you're interested in owning the second one please speak up.

I dare you.

Another Train of Thought/Underground Inspiration

2010-01-29T00:09:00.013-05:00

Announcing a new branch in my artistic explorations,

something I've always wanted to do,

inspired by the hundred year old mosaics in the NYC subway system,

made from chopped money,

and I will offer to make for any New Yorker,

or any fan of New York City,

who likes art and wants some,

the station of their choice created in this fashion.

I will do the research, visiting the station and replicating it properly.

The end result will be just like having the MTA in your living room, minus the rats, urine and trash. Want one? Let's talk.

"Stand Clear of the Closing Doors, Please"

Bugged out and Cut up: Scarab-vs-Scissors

2010-01-24T00:17:00.016-05:00

My mission to turn coins from worthless trinkets into something of value continues. This week I pit insect against man, winner takes all.

Chopping up money is addictive, satisfying, but in the end you're left with tons of tiny scraps.

In art, as in life, the tiniest bits of crumbs, accumulated over time, serve to sustain vast ecosystems, populated by diverse organisms.

Scientific observation shows, time and time again, a sophisticated order to things that cannot be ignored nor understood.

The complex moment we all share is built of more things than could ever be known, yet all aspects of everything share certain similar patterns.

Cutting through coins to make objects has helped me to feel as if I'm making an impact on the environment, adding to the pattern, increasing culture, decreasing stagnation.

Unlike the coins we leave lying in the gutter, these are objects that cannot be ignored. They now tell a story to those from the future.

Taking a coin from circulation and designating it as artwork is better than throwing it into a fountain: your wish materializes before you. Better yet, it can be shared with others.

When a coin is converted into art, it becomes special, and there's no way to undo that. Forever and ever, Amen.

Were there a way to tabulate the amount of times a single coin has been spent, some of the oldest pennies might represent thousands of dollars, ticked away over decades, one one-hundredth at a time.

How many pockets? How many purses?

How many cash drawers and rolls, how many vending machine slots? In the end, still worth next to nothing.

I stop the cycle, freeing the coins themselves from an existence of servitude. Like molecules in primordial ooze, from coins life emerges.

When I consider how much money I've ruined in my obsession to make art, I feel no sense of guilt or loss.

If you squint your eyes just right, the entire world is made of chopped money already, I'm just mimicking what's already been true for all time. I am freezing what normally flows.

You break it, You buy it.

Ebay auctions:
Bug
Scissors

Product Placement: Miller Time!

2010-01-14T23:40:00.014-05:00

Following several recent breakthroughs in the field of turning money into art, my explorations into the tricky terrain of turning art into money continue.

Within a corporate world, owned and ruled by corporations, it seems only fitting to seek gobs of money straight from the source. Corporate sponsorship, endorsements, and free publicity: where do I sign?

Since nobody's been knocking on my door, I've decided to become a Free-Agent of Corporate Advertising. The money is much worse than if I were under their umbrella, however, I am free to pick my own brands.

Being from Wisconsin, with strong roots in Milwaukee, as well as having an ongoing interest in beer, I have chosen to choose the Champagne of Beers: Miller High Life.

Starting with the cap, a crown of contemporary golden dubloons, I will create a monument to this regal, yet reasonable, beverage.

I would estimate my personal consumption of this local treasure to equal an average of 3 bottles per day, 365 days per year. I guess that makes me a valued customer and an honest endorser.

GOVERNMENT WARNING: (1) ACCORDING TO THE SURGEON GENERAL, WOMEN SHOULD NOT DRINK ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES DURING PREGNANCY BECAUSE OF THE RISK OF BIRTH DEFECTS. (2) CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES IMPAIRS YOUR ABILITY TO DRIVE A CAR OR OPERATE MACHINERY, AND MAY CAUSE HEALTH PROBLEMS.

Stay tuned for part II: "the Bottle"

Future Excavation: the Apple of my iPod...

2010-01-10T20:02:00.027-05:00

Once upon a time, in a kingdom much like our own, there was built an object of great power.

So powerful, indeed, that were this object to fall into the wrong hands, no good could come. Surely, speculation favors this object as a possible component of that very civilization's demise.

According to legend, the object could, of it's own accord, choose songs at will to perform for a captivated listener.

The songs, although fully orchestrated, required no instruments to produce. How it was able to memorize thousands remains a mystery.

Of most impressive note, the people of this era had the ability to instruct the device to perform particular to their liking. Owing to this attribute, no two of millions discovered are exactly alike.

It is highly probable that persons coming into contact with this object were difficult to separate from its influence, perhaps even becoming overwhelmed with adulation.

Such a powerful creation was surely the product of a civilization of advanced knowledge and skills. Perhaps, were they here today, we could learn something from these great peoples.

Any species capable of producing something as magnificent and substantial as the iPod must surely possess many great abilities.

Or maybe simply a keen grasp of Witchcraft.

Bid on it this week on Ebay...

>>>go to auction<<<

tool making: Two Types of Towers

2010-01-07T12:14:00.023-05:00

My recent projects attempt to revalue money through transformation by harnessing the power innate within all objects.

Few objects hold so much power as buildings, and the tallest structure yet was just completed in Dubai.

Twice the height of the Empire State Building, the completion of this structure represents a new pinnacle of human achievement.

When the Empire State Building was constructed, our nation was amidst a great financial crisis, caused by greedy rich people taking advantage of humble poor people.

This time the crisis is global, and was caused in the same way. Money never changes: the poorest ones make it, the wealthiest take it.

The patterns we create seem as ridiculous as inevitable.

Our tool-making skills can be harnessed to create many types of objects, yet two seem to stand out as important above all others: those for construction, and those for destruction.

A builder is a respected individual, hard-working and intelligent, who contributes to the world in a positive fashion.

Every swing of a hammer drives a lasting bond between two separate things. We trust these structures to hold us up.

He who wields a weapon commands a different type of respect.

Having a gun doesn't make people assume you're intelligent, nor necessarily hard-working.

They will, however, do whatever you tell them.

-OR ELSE-

Making these two tools at the same time poses some interesting questions.

Which is more powerful?

Which is more valuable?

And which is more important?

Dedicated to the people who were forced to construct the world's tallest building.

New Years Resolution: start selling weapons

2009-12-27T16:21:00.013-05:00

Following a great deal of research, I have concluded that the key to making good money in this world lies in the manufacture and distribution of firearms.

I don't consider myself a violent individual, however, according to the Beatles, "Happiness is a warm Gun." How can you argue with the Beatles?

So here's my "Revolver": Smith and Wesson, 38 Special, made entirely from chopped coins and epoxy.
Turning money into art is cool enough, but turning it into weapons is even cooler.

When holding this art one feels powerful, safe, strong.

The simple beauty of the firearm cannot be ignored.

It is my intention to make an eventual arsenal.

Private collectors are the target.

One cannot fully appreciate this artwork without holding it and feeling it.

Ready, Aim....

FIRE.
bid on it on Ebay

3rd card revealed/Maxwell's Silver i-Hammer

2009-12-08T12:25:00.005-05:00

On the workbench: A few Things.

Card number 3 is the 4 of Diamonds.

Shown here in Progress, in reverse. Certain details are lost forever...

But all is not lost. In my attempt to document all items ever known to mankind, I have made progress on two specimens.

One is a tool for building, an embodiment of manual labor.
The other delivers music electrically,

And was engineered by a team of hundreds.

Both produce rhythm. It's a start....

callling all consumers: Give 'em Artwork.

2009-11-27T20:41:00.007-05:00

It goes without saying but I'll mention it regardless: Christmas is coming, which means that whether you like it or not, you've gotta buy some stuff.
In the wake of a crumbling economy, it can be difficult to choose what to purchase for this great annual hand-off, but if you're reading this, you've already discovered the perfect solution: you will buy art from me.

This is a basic no-brainer. Everyone likes art. Just get some. You can't lose.

What else could you give that not only has a great potential to increase in value, but is also freeking cool?
Nothing. That's what.

Contact me soon if you're interested, only a limited number of things are available, prices range from very low to extremely high. How much do you love them? They deserve this from you.

Mission for Humanity: the Genome of Stuff

2009-11-21T23:29:00.007-05:00

Humans are pretty cool, and have invented lots of things. Some of the best inventions are the most mundane. Last week I found myself searching my room for a fingernail clipper, but discovered it had disappeared within massive amounts of other stuff. When it finally again emerged, I had a moment of inspiration.
Such a simple device, yet so important. Designed by a forgotten genius, turned into a commodity, distributed globally, this little tool makes quick work of a weekly inevitability.
Making the fingernail clipper from chopped coins immortalizes it for the archaeologists of the future. I do this that they may come closer to understanding the quirks of our crazy culture. Thanks to Epoxy, it should last forever. This will be the first of many such items, which I will produce and sell on Ebay. This method of distribution ensures a widespread placement of these objects, making it more likely that various future excavations will yield evidence of these oddities. I imagine that they'll assume these were amulets for warding off evil spirits, or possibly devotional objects, commissioned as offerings to Ancient Gods. Whatever they decide, I'm glad to provide another piece of our puzzle, confusing as it may be.
My plan is, eventually, to document all Things ever created by Man within the framework of Capitalism. It is an ambitious project, and will likely take the rest of my lifetime. I will call this mission "the Genome of Stuff". Why? Why not.

Second Card Revealed

2009-11-20T17:13:00.004-05:00

It's:

"the Nine of Hearts"

Congratulations to the lucky winner, your future will be bright!

The final bid was approximately twice that of the first auction.

With any luck, a bar has been set for the rest of the sales.

The 3rd Card is up for auction now.

>>>go to Auction<<<

"What if?" / fueling the speculation....

2009-11-17T10:28:00.002-05:00

Here's a theoretical news story from the future. Click to enlarge, and use your browser's zoom feature to make it even bigger.

With any justice, it might not be far-fetched... help make it happen... visit the Ebay Auction

Lucky Charms: 2nd public offering

2009-11-15T17:02:00.008-05:00

A few months ago, I began turning pocket change into Gemstones.

The gesture was hugely symbolic, a literal transmutation of a low-value financial substance into one of tremendous worth.

Last week, a poker-playing friend bought this gemstone from me to use as a "card cap" at an upcoming tournament. Apparently in poker, this is something you set on your hand to prevent anyone else from accidentally disturbing your cards.
Well, it worked. He won the tournament.
Luck + Skill + Awesome Art = Big Win

To celebrate, I'm offering 50 more "dime-onds" to the public, for $100 each. If you're interested in owning one, please let me know. I can accept payment via credit card, and each will come with a signed certificate of authenticity. Invest in my rise to notoriety, and invest in your future.

the ghost of future artwork: Keeping the Crumbs

2009-11-12T19:50:00.004-05:00

1 year of chopping up coins to make artwork has left me with a great deal of tiny metal scraps.
I haven't thrown away a single particle, and all along I've had a plan for the final tiny remains.

From disintegrated currency I will create biological life. Nature itself will become intertwined within the vast web of economics we've spun...

the Card Trick/playing art dealer for a year

2009-11-03T00:08:00.017-05:00

Choosing not to ignore the urge to be an artist is a gamble.

Life is risky enough when you play by the rules, and being an artist breaks them all.

In order to stack the cards, an artist must become a Jack of many trades.

Life deals a certain amount of opportunities itself, the rest is up to you.Making art, like gambling, is addictive.
Unlike gambling, however, there is no "helpline" for those addicted to making art.
Winning the game of art takes skill as well as luck.
I want to win. My newest project spans an entire year.

52 cards, 52 weeks, 52 auctions on Ebay. Each auction starts on Tuesday at noon Eastern.

As publicity builds, my theory is that the prices will rise. There will be no reserve price for any, and the bidding starts at 99 cents.

Aside from the first auction, the face of the card will not be revealed until the bidding has ended.

Each card is mounted in a sealed glass display unit, and will come with a signed certificate of authenticity. Each is handmade by Ted, from chopped American coins and epoxy.

The first card will be revealed in advance: The Ace of Spades.
>>>go to auction<<<

The ongoing progress will be documented on my new Blog. Tune in weekly for updates and images.

1-Year Anniversary/Manhattan Project

2009-10-30T19:00:00.012-04:00

One Year Ago this week, the world sat wondering what the upcoming election would bring.

I was promoting a new kind of artwork I had created to describe the election. This was the first time I had ever made a mosaic, and my medium was chopped coins.

This piece was shared heavily online, and I moved on to develop more work from the same materials. It's hard to believe the difference a year can make.

Now, after being stored privately for the last 12 months, I bring this historic piece of art back into the public arena, in the heart of Manhattan, to a new pub on the border of Chelsea and the West Village.

The place is called "Bunga's Den", and it's located at 137 W. 14th St.

Closest train station is 14th St./6th Ave. (1-2-3-F-V-L)

The work, "Obama Vs McCain", will be on display indefinitely, as will "Wall St. Stop", which was the 2nd work I made using chopped coins.

It mimics the subway mosiacs in the city, and was built in reaction to the stock market crash last September.

Anybody in the NYC area should stop by, have a drink, and check out the art.

the MoneyMorphosist Manifesto: turning art into money by turning money into art

2009-10-29T00:00:00.009-04:00

Whether we realize it or not, we are a society created by art but controlled by money. Throughout civilization, art has been the fuel for humanity, while money has been the carrot dangling before us. Both money and art have value to us, but only one is lasting. Without money we can't survive, yet without art we don't exist. As our Global Monetary system continues to crumble, it seems logical to reinvest some of the slipping currency into a format tested by time: Artwork.
Basic similarities between money and art:
1. Money is generated by working, so is art.
2. Civilizations that value money also value art.

Basic differences between money and art:
1. As a nation's debt increases, the value of its currency decreases.
2. As an artist gains notoriety, the value of their artwork increases.
Most people value money more than they value art, but which is more valuable?
Historically: Ancient coins are collectible by enthusiasts, Ancient mosaics are kept in museums.
Currently: The Money of today can be easily be turned into things, yet the Art of today is difficult to turn into money.

Who values art the most?
1. Those who want to influence great numbers of people. (ie. Pharoahs, Popes, Dictators, CEOs, etc.)
2. The artists themselves.
Who produces Art? An Artist.
Who produces Money? A Taxpayer.

Who needs Money? 1.an artist 2. the government

If the Government itself were to promote an artist turning money into artwork, they could increase the value of the artwork, and consequently their own tax revenue. An Artist turning Money into Art, selling it for more Money, and paying taxes on the profit could help invigorate the economy. MoneyMorphosism is Patriotic. MoneyMorphosism makes sense. I volunteer to be an artist for America.

Turning money into art:
1. Removes money from circulation, thus countering inflation.
2. Adds exponential value to the coins used, helping the economy.
3. Is cool.

Debt Auction/Setting a new Credit Limit

2009-10-28T12:48:00.011-04:00

Announcing the auction of the original art: "VISA vs. MasterCard". The stunning, hand-cut surfaces have been mounted and sealed between 2 panes of glass, viewable from both sides as a self-standing Proof-Set.

Bid this week only on E-Bay
>>>GO TO AUCTION<<<
ends November 4th, noon EST

I figure this is a viable alternative to signing up for a credit card, with a far more attractive pay-back plan...
>>>MORE INFO<<<

The Key: an Initial Public Offering

2009-10-22T13:47:00.022-04:00

My latest project is an attempt to reconcile my disdain for money with my desire for it. Many are being made available, directly through me, for $50 each.

My artwork has always been an outlet for the excess energy that I could be putting into anything else, but don't. By avoiding all other aspects of society that do not appeal to me, I have managed to focus exclusively on that which does: the creation of amazing new things.
This decision was made at my own insistence, long before I knew what I was doing, and to change my course after this many years would be like losing myself. If I didn't only make art, I would not know who I am. It is a ball and chain, yes, but there's a comfort in this kind of union: me and my art share the struggle together.
As liberating as it is to only do what you love, it's also, unfortunately, incompatible with our current society unless it generates some income. The key is to find a way to seamlessly integrate my daily projects with a source of money, and continue to explore my art with that new, additional parameter. Seems simple enough.
Unfortunately, Art and Capitalism don't mix, unless, of course, the artist is willing to comprimise. The very nature of mass production is a odds with the creative impulse that drives artmaking, yet without repetition on a massive scale, any profit-driven enterprise is destined to fail.
The key would be to create a project in which the Corporate model is replicated microscopically by simply erasing some zeros. I'll be the CEO, the advertising department, the managers, the workers, and the delivery team. If AT&T looks at the world in terms of billions, I'll see it in terms of tens. The profits will still buy bread and cheese.
So, after much deliberation, I've developed a plan. I endeavor to make available to investors my first public offering: an edition of 100 Keys made from coins, for a paltry sum of 50 dollars apiece. Whereas most of the objects I'm making from coins and epoxy are one-of-a-kind and worth thousands, this latest project will be a flurry of objects, each mostly similar yet slightly unique.
The keys are made from 2 quarters, cut, filed and epoxied. The chains are fashioned from a single nickel apiece. The pendants are icosahedrons, 20 sided Platonic Solids built from 5 chopped pennies. Payment can be made over the internet using a credit card, available for pick-up in the NYC area, or deliverable anywhere else for the cost of shipping.In a world of shaky investments, here is one that is sound. Freeing my time to pursue more art ensures my continuing rise to notoriety, and once I'm well-known, these will surely increase in value. All that aside, they're pretty darn cool.
Anyone wishing to act on this limited offer should contact me immediately for further details. If this goes well, additional offerings of lesser quantities and higher values will be occasionally introduced. Stay tuned and spread the word... I'm hoping these will open doors, if only even metaphorically...

Bright Idea/changing the channel

2009-10-15T11:32:00.017-04:00

History, as it stands, is a giant collection of ideas. Some are great, some awful, and all were thought at least once by somebody somewhere before spreading to others. Great ideas spread easily, because people are excited to discover and eager to spread them, while awful ideas are better distributed through force and repetition. Both are powerful and grip our lives equally.

Spreading the word about anything requires a certain amount of effort, and ideas are no different. Throughout the rise of Capitalism, it's always been necessary to tell people about things of which they've never heard, so they can realize how much they need them. Barkers, standing on a box extolling the virtues of this or that, have driven many products much further than the producers could have ever accomplished alone.
Billy Mays, possibly the best known pitchman of our current time, has convinced millions of people to buy all sorts of things that they didn't realize they needed. Even in death, his skill in selling is something we can all witness on YouTube.

Yesterday, in an attempt to channel the spirit of Mr. Mays, I set out for my local Brooklyn Rite-Aid in search of Mighty Putty. I realized it was no different from the epoxy putty at any of the nearby hardware stores, yet somehow the fact that Billy Mays had endorsed it before slipping into oblivion made it special. It would serve as an offering to his immortal soul.

I'm a great artist but am terrible at sales. It occurs to me that if someone like Billy Mays could convince people that they need my art, I would start selling massive amounts.
When I mixed up Billy's putty, I used the single blue glove included with the package. Upon removing it, the thumb separated seamlessly from the rest of the glove.
I wonder if this was Billy Mays' spirit, letting me know that my purchase had not gone unnoticed by those from beyond the grave. There's even a chance that maybe they'll look at my work and like it. For me, this is awesome: I'll take any fans, dead or alive.
As we approach the end of October, and the inevitable opening of the dark portal to the supernatural, I wonder if I might be able to convince a few other friendly ghosts to be my invisible agents in the artworld of eternity.
Maybe if one of them knows Picasso, or DaVinci, they can tell them to look at my stuff. It might be the big break I've been after.
If I tell people I'm a very famous artist in the Afterlife, perhaps they'll be drawn to purchase my stuff on Earth. Imagine how impressed Edison would be if you were buried with this.

-thank you Billy Mays, for the magical putty-

Snapshot / Stolen Souls

2009-10-09T00:48:00.023-04:00

Of all the doodads and gizmos that our species has created, perhaps none has been so important as the camera. With its invention comes truth: actual captured reality. Whereas before it simply continued, a moment could now be frozen for all to see later: the past proving itself to the future. This was big.

In the last century, 0ur explorations of the power of the lens to freeze time have evolved drastically. The brilliant minds that spawned the first kernels of the photographic process knew that something powerful and important could be harnessed, yet it's highly unlikely they had any notion how grand and sophisticated the whole thing would eventually become.

Back in 1996, when I was 20 years old, I too was convinced that I had stumbled upon a powerful and important idea. The idea was to become an artist, and disregard the common path.

Using a 35mm camera my parents had purchased in the 70's, I captured my young image in the mirrors on the bathroom medicine cabinet. This was a period of dramatic decisions and constant questioning. For all practical purposes, I was insane at the time.

I say this because my choice to cast everything in life aside in order to pursue only art was crazy.

This was a time in my life when I should have been preparing for my future. I could have chosen to become anything whatsoever: I was, after all, going to college. I had a great aptitude for math, and an interest in science, yet when I started taking studio art classes, I realized where I truly wanted to focus. An art degree? I was nuts.

Nobody but me could understand the brilliance of the decision, but my mind was made up. The rest of my options shriveled up, and I began to feed one alone. The choice was not smart financially speaking, but that seemed unimportant. I was an artist, and I embraced it.

Now I realize I was correct, and the choice is one I respect completely. Basically, since then, I've never stopped working on art. What I put into motion has evolved in many ways, and back then I could never have envisioned the new creations I see unfolding before me today, 13 years later.
Truly, that mad minded young man was a genius, destined for greatness. My respect for him is immense, even if I do consider him naive. He could never have imagined where his efforts would lead, yet he trusted that he wouldn't fail. I feel obligated not to let him down. I want to prove he wasn't crazy.
When I made a camera from chopped coins and epoxy, I put a New York Quarter in the viewfinder. "Gateway to Freedom", reads the text, and the Statue of Liberty is superimposed over the outline of New York State. Your typical Times-Square tourist is crossed with an Astronaut: a bizarre hybrid indeed.
This work serves as homage to the great minds that developed the process of photographic reality absorption, who made it possible for the people of the past to merge their moment with the future.

As time continues, a moment can seem endless, yet when captured, it becomes succinct. Bravo! What an impressive invention.

Creating this object from money immortalizes its intrinsic attachment to the modern, capitalist era. Would the camera have come to be if there had not been a strong desire to create multiple images quickly to distribute for profit? Didn't the visionaries who envisioned replacing painters by taking photographic portraits of the wealthy elite pave the way for their own paths to riches? Surely for some, this was the mindset, yet many, most likely, had a greater interest in discovery than dollars. They just wanted to be able to figure out how to take pictures, mostly because they realized that to be able to do so would be really freeking cool. To them, this was bigger than money: this was history.
These, I'd be willing to wager, were the ones who brought the majority of the advances. It seems like the true geniuses rarely let profit motivate them in their pursuits, driven instead by a desire to see the completion of an idea only they can grasp. The profiteers are a secondary player, driven only by the idea of money.

Say Cheese!

time to take credit/VISA vs. MasterCard

2009-10-03T00:47:00.023-04:00

In a Capitalist World, there are rules against monopolies, therefore one thing always mimics another. The resulting Competition supposedly keeps Companies on their toes and provides Consumers with better Everything.

Visa and MasterCard are two equivalent entities, working against each other side by side. According to my research, there is no discernible difference whatsoever between the two. Neither is trying to buy out the other; all stores accept both. From time to time one or the other puts out a smear campaign against American Express, yet both continue to exist in seeming harmony.

To understand this quirky burst of Capitalist cooperation, I decided I'd make my own versions of each. Essentially, I'd be playing bank, issuing myself two new lines of symbolic credit.

For Visa, the original credit card created by Bank of America in 1958 and launched with an unsolicited mailing to 60,000 people, I used old pennies, which are exclusively copper in composition.

For MasterCard, which was formed by a conglomeration of other banks in 1966, I used new, zinc-alloy pennies.

The backs of each card are basically similar, aside from a slight difference in the thickness of the magnetic stripes.

For the Mastercard I used Quarters, as it's seen greater growth in its life. For the Visa, Nickels. Basically, everytime we swipe, one of these two gets royalties. Imagine owning publishing rights not only for the Beatles catalog, but also for the catalog for everything ever sold. Talk about easy money.

When a patina was applied, it reacted very differently to both.

So who wins?

To me it seems like a toss-up. I guess that will be determined by their individual credit limits, ie: whatever I can sell them for.

That price, however, is yet to be decided. So now I find myself doing something I swore I'd never again do: signing up for 2 more credit cards, without reading the fine print. Luckily, these are issued by the bank of Me, and consequently not subject to the insane fees and stipulations of the normal cards. I wonder: is an artist allowed to monopolize this kind of thing?

buy it on EBay

Hands up, Artworld!

2009-09-30T13:40:00.018-04:00

Listen you jokers, you screwballs. Here is an artist who would not take it anymore. An artist who stood up against the scum, the runts, the dogs, the filth, the spit.

Trying to make it as an artist is like flipping a coin and calling tails knowing the coin has 100 million head sides and only one tail side. You have to be feeling pretty lucky to commit to those odds.
There comes a time in the life of any artist when they either give up or take control. You feeling lucky?

Here is an artist who stood up.
Are you talking to me?

Hand it over artworld, and don't try anything funny.

The entire handgun was fabricated from coins and epoxy.

Go ahead, Make My Day.

rough draft of a revolution

2009-09-29T11:53:00.005-04:00

I'm working on a major body of work right now involving self-portraits, mosaics made from pieces of coins. This was an initial experiment, before I'd figured out completely where I was going.

It's from a photo of me when I was 2 years old, aware but not consciously, with wide eyes and an exploding brain.
The subsequent portraits are much different, evolved. Perhaps less naive.

Little did I know in 1978 what I was in for...

Art events this weekend in Brooklyn

2009-09-23T15:44:00.003-04:00

>>>Greenpoint Open Studios Website<<<

As a member of Greenpoint Gallery in Brooklyn, I will be participating in this weekend's open studio tour, and will be present for the party Saturday night and the artist talks on Sunday.

If you're in Brooklyn, come check out some of my new coin sculptures...

Group show this month in Boston

2009-09-18T17:12:00.006-04:00

I'll be participating in a curated group show through October 24th in Somerville, part of Boston.

Click image to enlarge postcard info.

I'm showing a few new pieces, and one old one.

If you're in the area this month or next, check it out.

Various Online Press:
http://press.somaticmirror2.inav2.com

Opening Reception Invite and RSVP:
http://openingreception.somaticmirror2.inav2.com

Web Site:
http://www.somaticmirror.com

How I Spent my Summer Vacation/the Eagle has Landed

2009-09-11T01:50:00.000-04:00

As with any other artist ever, my puzzle is a difficult one to solve.

I spent the first 18 years of my life within walking distance of the Mississippi River, amidst beautiful hills and lush, humid summers, in a town of less than 5000 people.

After earning my Masters degree 5 years ago, I moved to New York City, home to millions. The difference between the two places could not be more extreme. The first time I came to New York, my entire perspective was altered.

After a life of living within the homogenized landscape of the American Midwest, where corporate logos light the night atop aluminum poles 100 feet high, I had come to assume the entire continent was basically the same. NYC proved me completely mistaken: totally unique, totally amazing, truly American. New York provided redemption, in my eyes, for the rest of it all.

Last week, celebrating the wedding of my younger sister, I journeyed back to Wisconsin, leaving my projects behind for a much needed vacation.

For the first time in 10 years, I found myself fishing with my father.

We used to go all the time. In my youth, this was truly my obsession: I was fearless and driven.

This time, when I caught a sizable pike, I jumped back scared and made my dad remove the hook. I couldn't pick it up. It's strange how the child I once was could have easily have run circles around his future self. Some things we lose over time, others we gain. Right now, I'm a much better artist than that little boy ever was. Nah Nah!

My dad, never removed from the countryside, retains his outdoors skills.

His son, on the other hand, could tell you exactly what trains to take to get anywhere in the largest metropolis in our nation.

We have much in common, but differ vastly in many other ways.

Dad has always worn glasses, as long as I've known him. My eyesight is clear and unaided.

A friend in Brooklyn who's part Indian once gave me a tribal name. He called me Walking Eagle.

His explanation was that I have the vision to see great distances, yet I use it to focus on that which is near.

How we see the world has a lot to do with our eyes, but even more with our attitude, and especially with what we choose to believe.

Prosperity should be shining bright in the land of the free and the home of the brave, yet the glasses of Capitalism, Made with Pride in the USA, seem to be blocking all light.

Strange that the Americans of our past knew exactly how to deal with an unjust scenario, while we have convinced ourselves today that it's out of our control. "We hold these truths to be self evident: That all Men were Created Equal." How much more basic could it be? Our Founding Fathers designed the system for us to avoid this mess.

The longer we keep the glasses on, the more things we'll probably run into. The toes of our Nation are pretty damn stubbed. We're to the point where we can't stop cursing out loud, yet we keep on going ahead.

I hope, someday, we'll take them off the glasses and see our potential once more, rather than simply our bills and our debt. America, creator of the modern global financial rules, also has a difficult puzzle to solve.

I'll stick to being an artist. Back to work.

opening the treasure chest/Transformation of Matter

2009-08-31T16:58:00.019-04:00

Of all the things we value in life, none seems to permeate civilization so much as gemstones and jewelry.

As far back as history remembers, precious metals and minerals have adorned us all.Not a grave can be excavated which contains anyone of significance that does not also contain the finest ornaments of its occupant's bones.
In the case of the diamond, carbon is key. Depending on its location in the Space-Time Continuum, carbon can behave as anything from soot to snails.

Pressure and time, until recently, were necessary to produce this particular molecular oddity.

Now any old laboratory with the necessary array of multi-billion dollar equipment can pump them out by the minute, I assume.

I believe that artists, like carbon, can also be influenced by pressure and time....

...unlike diamonds, however, an artist will never be easy to synthesize quickly.

After a diamond is formed, it must be transformed by a skilled master to become a priceless object. Prior to cutting facets, its just a weird rock.

In this particular instance, the artist alone injects worth to be determined later by skilled appraisers.

Craftsmanship is important, but so is the artisan's name. Big name? Viola! Money.

I have figured out a process by which I can transform mere pocket change into treasure fit for royalty. Like the alchemists of the middle ages, hellbent on discovering a method for transmuting lead into gold, I have stumbled upon an interesting solution for adding value to our money. I've decided to turn it into art.

Pressure+Time=TED STANKE, Artist: Transmutationist of Money

Remember the name. It might be worth something someday.

Work in Progress: Handgun made from Money

2009-08-24T20:36:00.009-04:00

Imagine artwork so powerful that it cannot be carried in public.

Imagine artwork that will make people flinch if it's pointed at them.

Imagine artwork that could shut down an airport.

Imagine artwork that, when handled, gives the viewer a sense of power.

Imagine artwork that could get you killed by the cops.

Imagine investing only pocket change into the whole thing.

UNIMAGINABLE?

Escape Artist/Creating Financial Restraints

2009-08-18T14:31:00.029-04:00

Ever since I started using coins in my artwork, several years ago, people have always wondered the same thing: "isn't that illegal?"

My response is usually the same: "No."

As far as I can tell, this is simply an urban myth, styled by an actual law forbidding people from shaving silver off the edges of their coins while also preventing people from changing mintmarks to defraud collectors. As long as no deception is involved, no law is apparently broken. For all I know I might be wrong.
However, turning my pocket change into artwork is an investment I have chosen to make, and if a bit of risk is involved, that's not a strong deterrent. My desire to create my ideas is too great to ignore. If it's illegal I'm prepared to face the consequences, and in the meantime I'll build my case through creating as much more art from money as I can.
I don't worry about it because it seems trivial. We allow ourselves to fear and worry about all sorts of things that are in actuality ridiculously harmless. Take money, for instance: What the hell are we thinking?
We seem like a smart species, yet our intelligence seems to have become a useless, atrophied remnant of what our ancestors once possessed. No longer masters, we now behave like pets. We allow ourselves to be trained by strong commands. We will only do something if there's a reward involved.
We bear the shackles of our monetary system willingly, having convinced ourselves hundreds of years ago that there's no other way. So we trudge through life wistful, and seek out the cash.
Interestingly, our global agreement to allow money to control our lives is no longer a decision we're allowed to make. We are born into it, and within it we die.
Or do we? My entire life has been a quest to make art, and in the process I forgot to figure out how to make money. My bad.

No gallery representation, no regular sales, no solo shows. I am truly anonymous in my room, surrounded by massive amounts of art.
If we value art, I am a billionaire, ten times over. If we value money, I'm a delinquent in debt. You decide.
Living life under the constant restraint of funding has made us all who we are. Some have no worries, some have nothing at all. Most of us have debt. I have ideas.

Making money is simple if you're willing to break the law, yet hard work and honesty rarely pay off. Go figure.
The funny thing is, the handcuffs do not lock. We alone keep them on or let ourselves free.

This entire object was fabricated from coins and epoxy.

So is it legal?

It should be...

Archive Photo: 1984

2009-08-08T14:12:00.000-04:00

I was cleaning my room and stumbled on this picture of myself from 2nd or 3rd grade. Proof positive that I've always been absorbed in a project.

Today I turn 33. Not a bad life so far... and the projects continue...

SHREDS OF EVIDENCE/getting my just reserves

2009-08-06T10:48:00.054-04:00

Twenty years ago, as a gift on my 13th Birthday, my Grandma Stanke gave me 5 one dollar bills, folded to look like a pressed and pleated shirt. She was a lifelong crafter, and had been a teenager during the great depression. She and my Grandfather lived a very frugal life and truly understood the value of saving both money as well as things. Her quilting mantra was "never waste an inch", meaning clothes never wore out, they simply became other things. When plastic bags were first invented to keep WonderBread fresh and wholesome, she used to twist them into ropes and turn them into throw-rugs. Today we have enough extra bags that we could make a nice "cozy" for the moon. I don't see that happening.
Somehow my gift ended up going into a drawer at my parents' house, and when my Mom found it last year, she gave it to me again. A few weeks later, finding myself out of money and needing to eat, I had to reluctantly remove 3 of the bills. I justified the act by refolding 2 more later and replacing the collar with a "ten". Grandma would be proud.

Whenever I think about money, I wonder why we allow it to control us. Our ongoing collective acceptance of its power has made us a pathetic mess of a species, unable to comprehend getting anything done that we can't afford to do. Individuals, organizations, and even governments themselves have become invalids, crippled by their reliance on a system that makes no sense. Imagine chickens, checking their pockets to see if they've got enough cash to dig for worms: ridiculous.

Yesterday, driven by a sudden impulse, I left my apartment in Brooklyn and headed for the Heart of our current economy.

In order to get to the subway, I need to walk over a bridge into Queens. One lone skyscraper, built by CitiGroup before their stock dropped to below a dollar a share, stands waiting for others to follow, but they haven't and probably never will. Shucks.

Across the East River it's a different story. Midtown Manhattan: where lots of skyscrapers have been built, starting with the Empire State Building. It was constructed during the initial onset of the Great Depression and was never filled. Today it's more vacant than ever.

Looking downriver, the distant Financial district is barely visible through the Summer haze. This is my destination. Below me, people continuously pay for access to the wealthiest island in the world. Faster than a clock can tick, the tolls roll in, 24 hours a day.

Arriving at the center of the financial power structure is strikingly similar to arriving anywhere else in NYC, yet somehow here, within a few square blocks, there is a concentration of wealth unrivaled in most countries. You'd think the air should smell like billions of dollars, but instead it's a combination of falafel and exhaust with occasional pungent stabs of sewage.

Nearby lie the bodies of some of the first people to harness globally the power of money, their weathered gravestones a testament to their wealth when living. Hard workers? Good people? Likely. Tyrants and thieves? Maybe. Dirt? Definitely.

Just beyond the 300 year old perimeter sits the biggest crypt of them all, complete with windows. Rest in peace, old friend, American Stock Exchange. You are survived by many.

A few blocks away, I stumbled upon the Bank of China, ironically occupying the former Chamber of Commerce building. I guess when you've got actual money you can buy whatever you like. At this rate maybe someday Congress will be a giant buffet. I think good stocks to buy might be in companies that produce fortune cookies and chopsticks, but I'm not a financial advisor, just an artist. I'd probably get lo-mein, but I prefer Thai.

Kitty-corner lies my destination: the fortress that is the Federal Reserve. The sign states that over one-quarter of the world's gold reserves lie in a vault 5 stories beneath the bank, the largest single stockpile from our former system for assessing value to currency: the Gold Standard.
In 1913 came the Federal Reserve Act, and money became legal for all debts, no longer exchangeable for gold. In 1922, like the freeking Medicis 500 years prior, the builders of this giant safe wanted to boldly announce that a new type of rule had come to the land. Here a magical, money making machine would be located, that could, without gears, motors or fuel, perpetually output dollars from thin air. It was an awe-inspiring thing, and its operation could only be trusted to an elite few. The only catch was that it had to be paid back, with interest, forever. Our Government, needing money, signed up. No credit? Bad Credit? No problem. Income tax was created, and the taxpayers were put forth as collateral. Whoohoo! Apparently, however, thousands of billions of dollars isn't enough to maintain the historic plaque. Ductape residue frames its battered face.
Security also appears to be ragged, and at the restricted access point, a lone guard leans alert against the building, tinkering with his blackberry while I snap a zoom photo from across the street. I guess now that most money is digital, it's less tempting to steal in person, or maybe he's thwarting some would-be cyber thieves.
This is an institution of magnificent power. Not only can they create money, they can also destroy it, hundreds of millions of dollars a year. As an artist who chops up coins, I can't help but feel a slight comraderie. This is my kind of operation: shredded money is packaged and distributed at the tax payers expense to people who take the guided tour. Nobody profits. No cameras allowed. The shreds they can't distribute this way are sent to landfills or burned.
After circling the building a few times, I make my move. I approach two guards at the public entrance and ask where I can get shredded money. A gift shop maybe? I came at a bad time, they say. No tours. No gift shop. One of the guards says she'll be right back and disappears into the building. The other says he can't help me and tells me to stand aside. Daunted and a bit nervous, I walk to the end of the block and scan for stores that look like they might sell what I'm looking for. Suddenly I hear someone yelling from down the block. The guards are calling me back. She asks where I'm from and I say Brooklyn. "That's from one Brooklyner to another." She says, handing me the prize.

Funny, I have plenty of dollars that are older than 18 months... I guess the funding for destroying money has started to dry up as well.

Taking a cue from my Grandma, I will make useful things, never wasting a inch.

...to be continued...

in loving memory, Almira Horn-Stanke, 1918-2009

iResurrection: a Technological Advancement in Art

2009-07-23T01:25:00.012-04:00

Two years ago at this time, my trusty iBook G4 was about to be destroyed by a freak rainstorm. It's sudden and unexpected and tragic demise spelled the loss of vast amounts of information that was not backed up. I made the most of the situation, and, like a pruned plant, redoubled my efforts to create new work.

The useless iBook went on a shelf in my room, and I vowed that if I ever had the money, I'd get someone to extract the data for me.

It's such a shame to see such an expensive tool destroyed so soon in its life, but then again, the planned obselescence to which the computer companies have always subjected us rendered it basically useless years ago anyway.

A lot of people really like the designs of these things. I can see the appeal. I removed the innards and replaced the screen with a mosaic made from coins. I gave my old friend an artificial heart, so it could continue to live on.
Last week my iMac G5 died and now I've been forced to switch to a Windows loaner. It's been like moving to Canada. I kind of know how to get things done, but everything's a little strange. In time I'm sure I'll adapt. Hopefully soon NYC craigslist will cough up a suitable macBook for me or another iMac, but it's a pain in the butt looking. I am glad the problems I have in life are so trivial.
My heart goes out to all the computers who have needlessly lost their lives prematurely. They will always live on in our memory. We can rest assured they've gone to a better place. Oh yeah, I finally got the data off that old harddrive.... and it didn't cost a thing.

Self-involved and Egotistical/Made of Money

2009-07-15T23:20:00.049-04:00

Ten years ago, during the summer of 1999, a local activist asked me if he could interview me for a documentary project he was filming. One of the questions he asked was "where do you see yourself in 10 years?"

"Still alive, I hope." was my initial response. (funny how mortal you feel in your early 20's!) I went on to say that I would be making art, hopefully surviving off of it. Today that's basically true, though a great deal of my survival still does not come directly from the art. Not yet.

"Immaculate Conception" 1999

At the time I ran a streetfront gallery where I showed my art, and I had a habit of hand-writing a funny description of each sculpture in the window to add another dimension of entertainment for the viewers. I figured with something to read they might linger awhile longer. While the documentarian was visiting my studio, he filmed over my shoulder as I wrote one out for a statue depicting the Holy Virgin Mary. I still remember it distinctly: "As any great artist will tell you, the true purpose of artwork is to impress girls, and this one goes straight for the top." Classic.

This summer, when a room went suddenly empty in the loft where I live in Brooklyn, I found myself craving the vast empty space. My bedroom is my studio, and over the years has become stiflingly claustraphobic with layers upon layers of new things being added regularly. I had an idea for a new project and when the person who decided to rent the room didn't want to move in till the middle of the month, I struck up a deal to rent the room for 2 weeks as a temporary studio.

The project was tentatively titled "K-12". It would be an introspective exploration.

I set up the room with a tripod and video camera, a big empty table, and some comfortable furniture. I didn't plan to leave for the next 15 days. It would be like taking a vacation in my own building.

The basic premise of the project revolves around my school photos. Here are 13 portraits, made in October of every single year of my childhood. There's nothing special about the fact that these exist, yet they offer solid evidence of many moments I've once experienced.

Making them again would be like going back in time, yet now I would capture myself with money, not film. My infant flesh would be replaced literally with the cold metal objects that had already determined my existence long before I was born. I liked the symbolism and the ritual.

Areas of light were made from silver coins, and old copper was used for shadows. I experimented with some kind of acid to introduce highlights.

I completed the background and applied adhesive, yet when I looked at the finished product, I was not satisfied. I wanted to transform the image from coins into flesh. I wanted the viewer to get the chills. This was an okay illustration, but not the photographic replica of a moment in time I needed. I could do better.

For the second attempt, I used only acid-treated pennies. I had access to a fire escape out the window, and every morning I'd make up a fresh batch of shiny copper medallions in the Brooklyn Summer sun.

I chopped them up and laid out the mosaic with subtle variations of lights and darks to create shimmering skintones. Through hours of careful study, I found I could apply the pieces of pennies as if they were paint.

Eureka!

30 years later: recaptured!

Using this new approach, an eerie effect emerged.

When I squinted my eyes, the mosaics almost looked more real than the photos. Sweet! This is what I was after.

Day after day, I continued through the grades. I came up with a method to affix the tiles temporarilly to the paper using a very thinned-out waterbased glue. I'll figure out what comes next later. These two weeks were for my heads alone.

In about a week, I was almost finished with elementary school.

1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Grades. 1982-86.

During these many long hours spent studying my young faces. A great deal of memories came flooding back from my childhood. In fourth grade, at age 10, I was already absorbed deeply in my art. I had a strong confidence in myself that came from naivety and inexperience. It hadn't occurred to me to be self-conscious, so I soared. This was also the same time I began to develop an interest in girls.
One in particular, a girl with the last name Quirk, was the first of my fancy. I remember she kind of dressed like Punky Brewster, flourescents and stripes. I definitely had a crush,but I didn't know exactly how to approach the situation. Sure, I'd show off at the pool or on the playground with my friends, hoping to be noticed, but that kind of passive approach can only go so far. Eventually I had to make a move. So one day, in the hallway lined with our lockers, I came up behind her and hit her on top of the head with my mathbook, apparently thinking that might win her over, but it only made her scream and cry. Ooops! The look on her face still kind of haunts me. We never spoke again.
From that point forward, I stuck to a less violent approach. The new plan was simple, and used skills I was already developing. I would make art, and it would be so amazing that everyone would love it, and, by default, they'd all love me as well. Any girl I chose in the future would be so impressed by my creations that she'd surely accept me if I liked her. What a relief! That settled, I got on with my life, and my life was making art.

Now, 25 years later, I have a different take on things, yet still I follow the same pattern. My constant attempts to get attention through making art have continued, basically unimpeded, the entire time. Far more often than not, I've found that this approach fails, yet in the process of figuring that out, I've generated massive amounts of great art.

Last Autumn, for instance, I met a girl from London who seemed to be everything I'd ever wanted. She was a musician, and I always like the idea of mixing and matching creative fields. There's synergy in that.

She was my neighbor, and I was inspired to write a blog entry after hanging out with her. I thought maybe she'd read it and start to like me too. She did, but remained aloof. In time, sensing I wasn't making as much of an impression on her as she was on me, I began working on new art, my first chopped coin mosaic. The next few months saw a burst in my productivity not rivaled for months. She liked it, yet nothing really developed between us. Eventually, my crush faded and she moved, but the artwork remains.

Back in gradeschool, I found myself obsessed with a girl who shared a table with me in homeroom. I remember being constantly devoted to the notion of her, to the point of praying at church to Jesus and God to make her like me back, yet I never told her, nor anyone else for that matter, how I felt. Everytime we were given a creative project to do in class, I would make mine shine, thinking she would break down and be drawn to me like a magnet to metal, however, nothing ever happened and eventually my interest faded in her and my focus shifted to somebody else. I still have lots of these school projects at home in my parents' closet. Brilliant!

When I rented the empty room in Brooklyn this Summer, my mind was still occupied, but with a different girl completely. I'd met her a few months back, at a local bar where I was having a beer with a friend. We talked for hours that night, until the sun came up, about what I don't even remember. But I just knew that I'd enjoyed being with her and that she was extremely beautiful. In addition, she was super cool, and I could totally see myself with her. I work in my studio all the time, so it's very rare that I meet girls I like in NYC, so I made an extra effort not to let her slip away. We began on ongoing text exchange.

During this period, both she and I had been traveling on opposite schedules, so it was only possible to see each other once every couple of weeks. This was frustrating, but unavoidable. Patience was crucial, and she was definitely worth it.

When I rented the space for this project, I had envisioned her coming over, hanging out in my spacious, sunny, breezy new studio with me, having coffee while I took a break from my work to sit with her on the couch and talk about whatever came naturally. I could show her my work and she'd simply be amazed. Surely seeing me in my element would make her believe I was special.

This was a great idea, and kept me going strong for the duration of the 2 week period. With images this spectacular, I figured she'd be unable to resist.

Unfortunately, my multiple attempts to invite her over went unanswered. She'd just gotten back from San Francisco, and was busy, I understood.

Yet I definitely wanted her to make it to my studio before I had to dismantle the project and move back to my cramped, tiny room down the hall. Strangely, my contempory life began to mirror the pattern I'd begun in Middle School. Again, I was struggling with a crush I could not escape or reconcile.

My telephone would be the mathbook. With two days remaining, not having heard from her for over a week, my text messages became slightly more frantic, asking her if she'd maybe lost her phone, and basically telling her to make a decision if she had enough time for me or not. The classic Middleschool: "do you like me? Yes/No" note. When I heard no response, on the last day of my rental, I texted her wishing her the best, and expressing regret that things had fizzled out.

She shot back, finally, saying I should relax, and that she thought it was "egotistical and self-involved" of me to expect a response to every text I sent. Looking down at my project, I had to laugh. I don't think visiting my studio during this project would have done much to make her feel otherwise!

In addition, she mentioned that she thought I was weird. hmph. Since when was that a bad thing? I think she's onto something, but at least now I'm made of money....

1st-8th grades 1982-1990.

Declaration of Dependence: Happy (belated) Birthday USD!

2009-07-05T20:21:00.001-04:00

As America adds another number to its age, we all grow a little closer to global bankruptcy.

In "money-years", 233 is surely geriatric. Decrepit and wearing adult diapers, our once mighty currency has ceased making sense, babbling incoherently about days long past.

"When I was your age we could buy a house for a nickel! You kids have it easy with your zipdrives and your flipflops and your stereophonic ideas. Where's my keys? Dagnabbit! the slaves escaped again! Who'll fix my fence?!"

Oh Gramps.... it's not like that anymore. Times have changed.

You don't have the strength that you had in your youth. It's not that people don't respect your accomplishments, Gramps, they do. However, age affects us all, and you've become a burden on your children. I'm sorry to say, they can't take care of you anymore, they don't have the patience or the training.

No, Gramps, please, take that out of your mouth. George isn't here. George has been dead for decades. Okay, I give up, I'll call social services.

(telephone ringing) Hello? Hi, this is America. Yes, our Grandpa Dollar is becoming far too dependent on the children we haven't yet had. Everyone's getting a little worried. We're having some serious problems taking care of him. What we need is a good recommendation for an assisted-care living facility, with a relatively short waiting list, that can fit into his insurance plan. None? Really? Not even in Switzerland? Oh I see. Yes, I understand. Thank you for your help.

(click)

Shit. I guess we're on our own. Happy freekin birthday!

sneak preview: NEW ART!

2009-07-02T21:25:00.006-04:00

here are pics of some new projects I'm developing

the money mosaic technique has become refined

and new to the mix... geometric solids?!?

this is gonna be big...