Andy Bauch‘s “New Money” will be on view from March 23 – March 25, 2018, with an opening reception on March 23 from 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. at Castelli Art Space. Bauch’s artworks often refer to icons of pop culture and art history. He uses cheerful plastic toys to explore darker, more complex subjects. Bauch selected LEGO bricks, these eye-catching and familiar childhood toys, as his medium of choice to echo the pixelated nature of digitization. He utilizes computer algorithms and software assistance to create his mosaics. His work that reflects the physical manifestation of the abstract threat of technological singularity.
The central questions at the root of “New Money” are: “What is the value of art? And for that matter, what is the value of money?” With cryptocurrency values on an up and down rollercoaster and art house auction sales breaking records even as federal funding for programs have been cut, the answer to these questions has never been more uncertain. In “New Money”, the Bitcoins embedded in each piece provide poignant commentary on the ethereal and fragile value of both. Bauch’s Postinternet artwork is imbued with secret keys to bitcoin wallets, with initial values ranging between $20 and $90.
“New Money” will feature over a dozen works composed of over 100,000 LEGO bricks, depicting everything from digitized abstractions to portraits of low wage workers who are in the process of being phased out by automation. Bauch’s work is both content and commentary that questions our constructs of value and social order by processing the fluidity of our experiences in both his analog and digital expressions of his art.
“New Money” at the Castelli Art Space is located at 5428 W. Washington Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90016.
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