“Money, money, money
Always sunny
In the rich man's world”
ABBA
Whether as the quantifier for time or as the commodity that
keeps the earth spinning, money has a major effect on our quality of life. This
is particularly true in the visual arts where an artist’s success/importance is
increasingly measured by the number of marks, yen or dollars they can command
for their work, especially at public auctions. It is equally true that a lack of
money is one of the modern world’s great motivators.
Such was the case for the German/American engineer Otis Kaye. He was financially
wiped out when the Great Depression of 1929 crashed over him. Kaye’s response
to this calamity was to take up painting and the subject he most often chose to
paint was money. The precision inherent in his early calling was such that his depictions
of dollars and cents are so accurate and realistic that even today viewers
of his work are often tempted to try and pocket them from his canvas.
Little is known about the man mainly because he never
exhibited his work. To have done so would have brought the wrath of the US
government down upon his head. For in 1909 it became illegal to paint US
currency. Consequently Kaye gave his paintings to friends and relatives and
whilst he did depict other subjects he is believed to have sold only two
paintings during his life time.
Best known for his technical virtuosity, Kaye’s compositions
are as intriguing as they are inventive and he was not adverse to the visual pun,
although his humor is often black and barely conceals the anger he felt towards
the hand fate had dealt him.
Last Saturday Connecticut’s New
Britain Museum of American Art opened an exhibition of his work, Otis Kaye: Money, Mystery, and Mastery which will remain on
show until the 10 of May.
No comments:
Post a Comment