Third-world currency art
My artwork for my CDR release (Construct Deconstruct Reconstruct), and for my website, has elements of colour from Africa. Part of my inspiration obviously is to find imagery that complements my music, as I sample a lot of ‘tropical’ music, and my sensibilities lie in that direction. However, I come by the artwork that appears on my first album honestly.
It started back when I would get some money from my father who would travel around the world as a consultant. Money came home from exotic locales like Vietnam or Tanzania. After a time it came to be mine. And a few years ago I started teaching English (ESL), and I happened across a store on Toronto’s main drag, Yonge St., which dealt in collectible currency. I was thrilled and proceeded to round out my collection with some unusual bills: a’harvest’ themed bill from Bulgaria with a plump woman wielding a giant basket in a field (very Soviet looking), and some rarities including a German Reichsmark from the 1920s. It’s ragged but encased in a little plastic sleeve. My collection grew with help from my students from places like: Japan, Korea, Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, Russia and Saudi Arabia.
The artwork on my CD came from a bill I got at the Yonge St. store. My friend, and collaborator on the song ‘Coconut Radio’ informed me he saw the same Indians on artwork from Brazilian thrash-rockers Sepultura! I’ll be on the lookout for that, but for the moment here is the bill for you to enjoy. It is a Cruzeiro from around 1990. Brazil had decades of tumult, and this currency one of many (Brazil had 3-4 kinds of money through the 20th century) that went through the inflationary roof. In 1993 ta 500,000 Cruzeiro note was issued! This bill features amazing artwork of Indians and has a portrait of Candido Rondon, a Brazilian military leader who explored remote jungle and made peace with Indian groups. This bill cost me about $1.00 and it’s one of my favourites.
To see and hear my “CDR” album please visit my website at Mikooshka.com
