# Intricate Currency Collages (UPDATE) The Incredible Money Collages from Mark Wagner are Priceless By Paul Maccarone | Published 2013-08-13 | Pop Culture Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mark-wagner References: [thisiscolossal](http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2013/08/mark-wagner-currency/) & [smokeinmydreams](http://www.smokeinmydreams.com/) The legendary Brooklyn-based collage artist Mark Wagner is at it again with his supremely intricate [currency collages](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/piaget-x-andy-warhol-collage). The amazing updated collection of his meticulous artwork will be on display at the Pavel Zoubok Gallery in NYC on September 6, 2013. The concept of collages can sometimes be a little convoluted, as many artists just throw together different clippings to produce an aesthetically appealing piece. Wagner's work is different though as his collages are about taking a medium and tearing it down in order to build it back up again as a new piece. Wagner explains, "The one dollar bill is the most ubiquitous piece of paper in America... blade and glue transform it-reproducing the effects of tapestries, paints, engravings, mosaics, and computers—striving for something bizarre, beautiful, or unbelievable… the foreign in the familiar." Such a strikingly [surreal art form](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/jeffrey-deitch-art-gallery) definitely garners the respect and admiration that Wagner has received in the art community. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.8/10 - Popularity: 53% | Activity: 24% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Pop Culture](https://www.trendhunter.com/popculture) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Intricate Currency Collages:** Mark Wagner's intricate currency collages represent an opportunity for further experimentation using different mediums to create something bizarre, beautiful, or unbelievable - **Tearing Down and Rebuilding Mediums:** The act of tearing down and rebuilding prints, paper and media into something new presents itself as a new avenue of innovation in the art and design industry - **The Foreign in the Familiar:** Wagner's basic use of the everyday dollar is a representative of an opportunity within the retail industry to create something novel and novel from familiar objects and concepts ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Art and Design:** There is a chance to reinvent different artistic mediums and to create something unique from them in the art industry - **Retail:** Retailers can explore different ways to reuse and recreate everyday objects for decorative purposes - **Marketing and Advertising:** There is a chance for creative marketing firms and advertising agencies to use unique and unconventional methods to advertise using art pieces like those of Mark Wanger's ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Evolving Hybrid Sculptures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/human-one.md) - [Paper-Made Mosaic Artwork](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/real-life-architecture-exhibition.md) - [Artist-Edition Jigsaw Puzzles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/artistedition-jigsaw-puzzles.md) - [Stunning Origami Portraits](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/origami-portaits.md) - [Sculptural Paper Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fragmenti.md) - [Money-Inspired Footwear Collabs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-concepts-x-new-balance-1000.md) - [Chess-Themed Art Collections](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/checkmate-collection.md) - [Statement Bangle Collections](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/statement-bangle-collection.md) - [Glass Beaded Intricate Artworks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/painting-exhibition.md)