Hear no moola. See no moola. Speak no moola. High Plains Morning was thrilled to host the brilliant, dollar-choppin' collage artist Mark Wagner and Amarillo's own Alex Gregory, Curator at Amarillo Museum of Art today on High Plains Morning. The new exhibition, Cut Up/Cut Out, has an opening reception TONIGHT (Friday, July 19th) from 6:30-8:30pm at AMoA (2200 S. Van Buren); Mark's hosting an artist talk at 7:15 pm.
This is an exhibition of national and international artists who explore captivating methods of decorative piercing and cutting, using a wide range of media from paper and plastic to metal and rubber. The transformative nature of cutting into and through a surface provides endless possibilities for converting the material from opaque to transparent, from flat to sculptural, from rigid to delicate, and from ordinary to exquisite. The process and precision required for this method of art-making is laborious, technically demanding, and always astonishing. This exhibition honors both innovation and tradition with a selection of over 100 artworks by 56 artists representing diverse styles and techniques.
Mark Wagner is best known for his meticulous collages made of deconstructed U.S. dollars. Mark, whose work is included in Cut Up/Cut Out and The Panhandle Collects: Anonymously (which is also on display now at the museum), slices thousands of bills to create artwork that pointedly and playfully explores the intersection of wealth, power, value, and American identity. He re-imagines this revered icon of American commerce, manipulating the material with virtuosity to depict portraits, plant life, fantastical beasts, and allegorical scenes, recasting George Washington in new roles. To learn more about the artist, please visit his website.
Hear our full interview here:
