Ashley Longshore, the pop artist known for her portraits of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Queen Elizabeth II, literally littered her booth at the Aqua Art Fair in Miami, Florida with $30,000 singles.
And on the first day of the fair, customers with stiff fingers were clutching wads of money, according to officials.
“One guy stole maybe $100 and ran away, but it was a $1 bill,” said a guest spy who grabbed the cash and took a photo.
I've heard that this scene served as a “social experiment” to see who would grab the spoils.
Longshore, who used his own funds, told Page Six that the piece was about “capitalism.”
“These art fairs are about money,” she says. “Yes, art is great, but it costs a lot of money to attend fairs. Shipping costs are exorbitant and the entire city of Miami is tripling the prices on everything to cannibalize the art and fashion community.” Masu.”
The satellite fair will be held during Art Basel Miami Beach.
According to the artist, guests' “most immediate reactions were, 'Can I have it?'”
She explained that she told them: “This is my hard-earned money. Are you comfortable taking money that you didn't even earn?”
She told us, “95% of people immediately drop their money and say 'no.'” Their rights have shifted to moral decisions. ”
Mr. Longshore called the remaining 5% “an entitled, tequila-soaked, drunken mass with wads of money stuffed in their pockets and wallets.”
Their response, she said, was “'Yes, I got it. I bent down and picked it up.'”
A camera was installed inside the booth to record people's reactions, which will be used in future art works.
“I make art while I sell art,” Longshore says.
She added tactfully: “Capitalism, money, success, excess, luxury, body image, cash on the floor. I'll be your art whore, will you be mine?”
