Mark Wagner is best known for his intricate collages made entirely from deconstructed US dollars. Wagner destroys thousands of bills yearly to create works which pointedly and playfully explore the intersection of wealth, power, value, and American identity. Wagner's audacious (and unlawful) destruction of this revered icon of American commerce is checked only by his virtuoso material manipulation, which renders what you will... portraits, plant like, fantastical beasts, or allegorical scenes recasting George Washington in every roll.
His work is collected by dozens of institutions including the Museum of Modern Art, the US Federal Reserve Board, and the Smithsonian Institution. It has shown at The Metropolitan Museum, The Getty Research Institute, and National Portrait Gallery in DC.
