“The most fascinating aspect of this process was uncovering dramatic compositions that were
created entirely by the destructive nature of mold, moisture and time.” - Coldie
The Story Behind the ‘Filthy Fiat’ Series
Several years ago I felt like the world was doomed. As part of my SHTF (shit hits the fan) preparation, I buried a box that held a variety of items that could be used to help me get by including a bag of one hundred one dollar bills. After about a year went by, I was curious how my box was doing as I had never buried a box in the ground. After finding and opening the fire-proof safe box that I had duct taped and wrapped in another bag, I found that water and dirt had found its way inside. The money was a thick brick of stacked bills stuck together and looking nasty.
I took this money to my local bank as I wanted to replace it with fresh bills.
Sounds easy enough, right?
NO!
The bank took one look at my water-soaked moldy bills and told me they could not accept my bills as they were a “biohazard.” I was told to leave the premise of the bank right away as I had live mold on my currency bills. I gave my information to the bank as they offere to have a US Treasury bag that I could send the toxic bills to have exchanged for usable debt notes. Well, that bag never arrived and I was left with the useless fiat.
As I studied this brick of nasty moldy paper bills, I realized I had inadvertenly created a generative art collection. All the elements were there; time along with natural forces (water and dirt) created the assets and the mint dates and serial numbers on the bills created the code of authenticity.
The Art Creation Process
With a mask and gloves to shield me from the bio-hazardous nature of my assets, I started to unravel the moldy art series in front of me. I felt a bit of what the teller at the bank probably felt the moment they laid eyes on this monstrosity. As mold spores sprung into the air I questioned whether the mask and gloves were enough, I labored on. One thing I quickly realized was how delicate they were, any amount of force would cause them to tear so there I was, like a surgeon, painstakingly sliding an x-acto blade between layers trying to get a result but embracing randomness and keeping my expectations in check. Slowly sliding the blade in and giving a slight twist, I had decisions to make; which ones should I separate and which ones should I keep together? I was uncovering magic in each layer and they all had their own unique creative value. Some would separate completely, while others adhered and fragmented creating a striking juxtaposition. It was like opening presents, each distressed frame was its own surprise and a fractal of the overall composition that was slowly revealing itself. There was SO much to feel during this process and I was taken with the filthiness and how it perfectly reflected the figurative filthiness of this fiat.
While I was uncovering the ‘code’ of the organic generative results, I was acting as the validator and creative mind synthesizing the brick of “destroyed” fiat into a curated art collection. Overall from the moment I buried that box to the moment I received the first artist’s proof everything had been born of my own intuition. There absolutely was art in both the precision required as well as the composition, but I had only a fraction of control, the natural elements get a lot of credit in the final output.
I am still in the process of directing the bills and making sense of the total body of work. I work best when experimenting and through this process I have begun to reveal the fractal that is ‘Filthy Fiat.’
Upcoming Series Release
This has started a creative series that will take a variety of forms from digital to physical.
I have a variety of releases in the works and am very excited to share them as they become ready.
This website is only the announcement that the project exists and serves as a starting point to spread awareness to collectors to join the interest list.
I have already begun developing several Filthy Fiat series that push my boundaries of art making.
Creating digital versions of the series hit different from physical versions. Both will exist.
I am very excited by this project.
Collectors will have various ways to collect this series, several releases are already in the works for this summer and leading into a more robust rollout in 2025. Always searching for unique methods of art-making, I am combining technology and fabrication to create a compelling project.
My goal is to use Filthy Fiat as a way to educate about what fiat currency is and how it works (and doesn’t work). I want it to start conversations about what we place value in and how the current monetary system does not serve our best interests. It is all by design, and understanding these principles can help every person who interacts with Filthy Fiat have a deeper understanding of what exactly ‘currency’ and ‘fiat’ are all about.
Filthy Fiat World Tour
The Filthy Fiat World Tour will make stops in a various physical locations as well as the metaverse. The first stops will include cities in the United States that are the home of a Federal Reserve Bank location.
The tour will feature an long-form ordinals series. The mechanics of the series speaks thematically and literally to how Bitcoin functions as a fixed quanitty and released in a deflationary manner.
Tour Stop #1
Nashville, TN (BTC Nashville 2024, Inscribing Nashville)
June 24-June 27, 2024
The first public viewing of the Filthy Fiat series ha
Digital Releases
Filthy Fiat (2023)
The first release using Filthy Fiat bills was on the Bitcoin blockchain as a series on Ordinals.
A generative release splitting up a 10-second video animation into 300 frames, each frame was sold to collectors in March 2023.
The digital series ‘Filthy Fiat’ can be viewed here.
Learn more about Ordinals here.
A (very) brief history of fiat currency
Fiat currency began in ancient times, with early examples in China during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) when paper money was first introduced. Unlike coins made from precious metals, these paper notes were backed by the government’s promise rather than physical commodities like gold or silver. This new form of money was more convenient and easier to carry, leading to its gradual adoption and spread.
As time went on, other countries saw the benefits of fiat money and began to use it as well. In the 20th century, most nations moved away from the gold standard, a system where the value of money was directly linked to gold. Instead, they fully embraced fiat currency, where the money's value is based on trust in the government rather than a physical substance. This shift allowed for more flexibility in monetary policy and economic management.
Today, modern economies have taken fiat currency even further by creating digital versions. People can now pay for goods and services using credit cards, bank transfers, and mobile apps, making transactions faster and more efficient. This evolution has made it easier for people and businesses to trade and manage money, facilitating global commerce and everyday transactions.
Disclaimer:
No currency was harmed in the making of this artwork. No destruction of United States Currency occured intentionally. Bills were buried in the ground with the hopes of using it as the world ended, but in the process nature took control and affected each bill in a way that I was told I could not spend them. No bills were discarded or otherwise rendered useless.
