Like a “visual cultural archaeologist,” Hank Willis Thomas has continually sought to understand the how people perceive themselves and the world around them. In his art, he investigates the complex yet fragile emblems of society that have grown into the cornerstones of our reality. He interrogates these societal pillars by decontextualizing iconic objects and symbols, using mass media, popular culture, and advertising as vocabulary. He initially studied to become a commercial photographer at New York University, but during his early jobs in advertising became more fascinated with the immense efforts to turn staged scenes, something intrinsically artificial, into a natural moment captured on camera.
Thomas understands logos as modern hieroglyphs, both of which are densely meaningful symbols imbedded into their respective societies, whether ancient or contemporary. 126 Hundred Dollar Bills (Gold) pulls us outside of our reality by distorting the hundred dollar bill with inverted contrasting colors, transforming the face of Benjamin Franklin into an uncanny entity. The series includes other versions of this print in various colors, including blue and black. With this unique iteration, Thomas combines America’s most valuable symbol with one of the world’s most valuable materials: United States Dollars and gold. But what happens when he combines the two? Do they become more or less valuable? In fusing the two forms of currency, Thomas creates a powerful comparison that challenges our perception of value and the delicate construct our capitalist society depends upon. Because of its design and scale, the print also resembles a credit card, further emphasizing money as construct while also comparing the socioeconomic differences between cash and credit.
