When Money Tells a Story

Money shapes so much of our lives, yet we rarely stop to think about what it truly represents. It’s more than numbers in a bank account or pieces of paper in our wallets. It’s a story, a symbol of power, trust, and value, carrying the weight of history and culture in its designs. And if you take a closer look, you’ll see that money doesn’t just live in banks or pockets. It lives in art, too. Let’s explore how money and art are intertwined, shaping the way we view the world. Find out more in When Money Tells a Story.

Image on left New Glory Penny, 1963 Robert Indiana

It’s hard to imagine but before we had coins or notes, we traded goods, grains for livestock, salt for spices. Then came coins made from precious metals, stamped with symbols of power. In time, paper money revolutionized trade, making wealth portable and transactions more convenient.

By the 20th century, credit cards emerged, offering a new level of financial freedom. Now, in our digital age, we’ve leapt into cryptocurrencies and NFTs (Non-fungible tokens), where value feels more intangible than ever. Yet, no matter how much money evolves, its true worth has always been about perception. We trust its value because we all agree on it.

Artists have been fascinated by this for centuries. Money, with all its contradictions, offers endless inspiration. Ancient Greek pottery depicted scenes of trade and prosperity. In the Renaissance, painters like Caravaggio explored greed and morality with works like The Cardsharps. By the 20th century, artists like Andy Warhol blurred the lines between money and art, turning dollar bills into cultural icons.

This enduring relationship between money and art is beautifully captured in Money in Art: From Coinage to Crypto. Written by David Trigg, with a foreword by Mark Carney, the book dives deep into how artists have grappled with the concept of money. It’s a vibrant journey, filled with over 80 artworks spanning centuries.

Art=Capital, 1979 Joseph Beuys

The book begins with Andy Warhol’s 200 One Dollar Bills, a striking silkscreen painting that blurs the line between art and currency. From there, we see how Joseph Beuys transformed a banknote into a philosophical statement with Art=Capital. The Guerrilla Girls used money to expose gender inequality with Women in America Earn Only 2/3 of What Men Do, while the K Foundation went so far as to burn a million pounds in a shocking critique of wealth.

Women in America Earn Only 2/3 of What Men Do, 1985 Guerrilla Girls

You’ll find contemporary pieces that stretch our understanding of value. Damien Hirst’s The Currency examines how art and money overlap in a digital age. Sarah Meyohas turned cryptocurrency into art with her project Bitchcoin. Even sliced-up dollar bills find new life in Mark Wagner’s witty collage Hedge Fund. And Yaw Owusu’s glittering mosaics crafted from pesewa coins confront the lingering effects of global capitalism and colonialism.

Hedge Fund, 2016 Mark Wagner 

British artist Justine Smith brings a unique perspective by transforming money into intricate collages. Her Money Map of the World (2005), made entirely from real banknotes, charts every country that uses paper currency. It’s a fascinating look at how nations present themselves through their money. This project inspired others, like Money Map of Africa (2007) and The British Isles (2010), featuring everything from French francs to Spanish pesetas.

Then there’s Old Europe, a map that captures the continent during a time of change, showing how currencies, and the stories they tell, are always evolving. For Smith, money is a form of propaganda, revealing what countries value and how they want to be seen.

Old Europe, 2007 Justine Smith

Mark Carney’s foreword adds an extra layer of insight. He reminds us how money and art share something vital: both are “stores of value” that transcend their physical form. A banknote isn’t just paper, and a painting isn’t just pigment on a canvas. Their value comes from the stories we attach to them, the meaning we collectively create.

This book is not only about money or art, it’s also about us. It invites us to see how the things we value reflect who we are and what we believe. By examining money through the eyes of artists, we start to question the systems we take for granted.

What does money mean to you? And how might art change the way you see it? To dive deeper into these questions and explore the stories behind money and art, Money in Art: From Coinage to Crypto is waiting to take you on this fascinating journey.

To explore and order Money in Art: From Coinage to Crypto, visit heni.com

If you enjoy reading When Money Tells a Story. Why not try M is on the Money

.Cent Magazine London, Be Inspired; Get Involved