«Benjamin’s dream»

In 1748 Benjamin Franklin published a short essay of advice for young tradesmen, and it opens with a line people still quote: "Remember, that time is money." The $100 note later carried his portrait, and people still call that bill a "Benjamin".

That line is the starting point of this painting, and for me it is where dollar bill art begins. I wanted a man made of money, standing in front of the markets that now put a price on everything, time included.

A figure in a white shirt and tie stands against gold. His jacket, sleeves and tie are covered in painted $100 bills, turned at every angle. The head is a portrait in the style of a banknote engraving, with curled white hair built up in thick paint. The face is cut into strips that slide sideways, with gold rectangles where the eyes and mouth should be. Paint drips run from his chin and his hands, and he holds a small torn scrap of a banknote.

The gold behind him is raised and rough, with loops of thick paint like scribbled numbers. Thin black lines run across it like market charts, labelled BTC, Brent, CNY and ETH. On the left sit blocks of green, orange, red and blue.

Warhol painted 200 One Dollar Bills in 1962 and turned cash into a grid. I wanted dollar bill art with one man, one suit of money, and a face that does not hold together. The colour blocks are my nod to Mondrian and the squares of Broadway Boogie Woogie, painted in 1942 and 1943. As contemporary pop art it is loud, and it works as statement wall art.

This is the original pop art painting: 120 x 90 cm, oil and acrylic on canvas, 2022, from my collection SCAM. Most of my original paintings are already in private collections, but I paint originals to order in any size. To ask about this one, message me on Instagram or by email. A hand-finished lithograph of it also exists; you can order it via Instagram or email.