Surfin' USA, an exhibition by Santiago Montoya using international bank notes as his aesthetic arena, the body of work is an exploration into the culture, currency and political issues of the USA.
![Viewing paper currency as ready-made works of art, Montoya cuts, alters and stretches the bills to explore the meaning beyond...](https://artlogic-res.cloudinary.com/w_1400,h_1400,c_limit,f_auto,fl_lossy,q_auto:good/ws-halcyon/usr/images/exhibitions/content_image_1/items/95/9538bb9c1a9349ae9a3a7011451f75f5/sam-mix-abs-23266.jpg)
Viewing paper currency as ready-made works of art, Montoya cuts, alters and stretches the bills to explore the meaning beyond their surface - Montoya creates a unique visual language by reinterpreting paper currency as both a canvas and raw material. By using cliché titles and familiar imagery, Montoya explores socio-political issues and complex subject matters with an element of humour and in doing so, encourages conversation and debate.
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Through The Great Swindle, Montoya continues to interrogate our beliefs in the value and solidity of financial systems through his long-standing preoccupation with paper money as his medium of choice.