In kitchen with weights, 2000, digital c-print, 24 x 36 inches
In bathroom with gray bandana and sunglasses, 2001, digital c-print, 24 x 36 inches
3 E.T.’s on bed, 2001, digital c-print, 24 x 36 inches
Money in between thighs and butt of body wrapped in bedspread, 2002, digital c-print, 24 x 36 inches
Holding money in front of wall of me and Barry’s art, 2002, digital c-print, 36 x 24 inches
Swarthmore college woods wearing dearraindrop shirt, 2003, digital c-print, 36 x 24 inches
Money in underwear, 2003, digital c-print, 24 x 36 inches
Angry looking cat sitting on money, 2003, digital c-print, 24 x 36 inches
3 new wave records, 2003, digital c-print, 24 x 36 inches
In kitchen with knife on forearm, 2003, digital c-print, 24 x 36 inches
Baby hooded onesie, 2004, digital c-print, 24 x 36 inches
Little Dog on Floral Comforter, 2004, digital c-print, 24 x 36 inches
Money on Mossy Rock in Vermont, 2005, digital C-print, 36 x 24 inches, 91 x 61 cm
Marvin and Garfield, 2006, digital c-print, 24 x 36 inches
2 E.T.’s and green girl alien, 2007, digital c-print, 24 x 36 inches
White Trouble, 2007, digital c-print, 36 x 24 inches
Reserved for masturbation, 2007, digital c-print, 24 x 36 inches
Title, 2007, digital c-print, 24 x 36 inches
Money robot on bed, 2008, digital c-print, 36 x 24 inches
The word money in hallway, 2009, digital c-print, 36 x 24 inches
Rainbow cassettes, 2009, digital c-print, 24 x 36 inches
Beanie babies, 2009, digital c-print, 24 x 36 inches
Death masks and money, 2007, digital c-print, 24 x 36 inches
3 legged dog on floor, 2010, digital c-print, 24 x 36 inches
Buddy the cat with bird book 2014, digital c-print, 24 x 36 inches
The Hole is proud to present “Andrew Jeffrey Wright’s Money” a solo exhibition of photos by Philadelphia’s Andrew Jeffrey Wright. AJW makes all types of artworks, and communicates his diverse practice through zines. One of my favourites is called “Labs With Abs”, but that is for another show. In this exhibition we have one of his bodies of work that has appeared in his zines over the years; photos of money. And not just any money! “Andrew Jeffrey Wright’s Money”, as in all the cash he has at the time.
Spoofing the genre of braggadocious money photos where 100s are spread in huge piles, spell out names, fan out around guns or drugs or ladies, these photos mostly have 1s and 5s and even coins, no guns and drugs, sometimes a lady, and, like, cats and trees and stuffed animals. An underground artist who is well known by artists but has yet to achieve commercial success in the same way as many of his peers, AJW has been taking these photos for 15 years capturing in this unique way a bit of what being a struggling artist looks like.
Maybe he DJs a party and there is a photo with about $340, maybe he has $93 and a pizza, maybe he is skint and has $13.25 on an ottoman. Who knows what he did to get over $800 in his underwear. The works are dated and it looks like 2010 was a pretty good year, 2014 too. Why does it feel so subversive to have your bank balance on view? Or rather to be a cash-only person without a bank balance at all? This struggle is a sharp contrast to the conspicuous luxury of the contemporary art market, and simultaneously it is uplifting to see humor, ingenuity, perseverance in a realm usually filled with greed, insecurity and competitiveness.
This exhibition is accompanied by a little catalogue and later this fall a comprehensive book by Delema Books with essay by Alex Baker. Catalogue signing to be announced! Catalogue and photos in the exhibition are cash only, so bring cash 🙂
For more information on the artist or artworks please email raymond@theholenyc.com
