Book about artists trading art with each other

October 15, 2019 11:56 PM

I read the article "Cash, Card or Painting? How, and Why, Artists Exchange Work" and to my surprise found the topic very interesting. Unfortunately it doesn't appear that this article is a chapter from a forthcoming book, but I'm wondering if anyone has any book recommendations on the topic that are written in a similar anecdote driven style?
posted by Corduroy to Media & Arts (2 answers total)

Not exactly what you're looking for, but you may like this book about the fascinating JSG Boggs.

I emailed with Boggs in the 90s and offered to make him a website in exchange for some of his art and he replied with something like, "Oh, that's an excellent idea! However, one of my rules is that I have to initiate the transaction. Sorry."

Essentially, what he did was draw money (one-side only) and then use that art to pay for things. He expected both a receipt, and the proper amount of change were the art legal tender. That would leave the seller with piece of art #1, the "money".

He would then sell the receipt and change to an art collector and tell them where he spent his art. He considered the change/receipt art #2.

The person who bought the change/receipt, would then go to the purchaser of art #1 and attempt to convince the person to sell their "Boggs note".

If the change, receipt, and "currency" where then gathered together, that was consider the final, and third piece of art. One such complete #3 sold for $400K.

I believe he was also the first person to conceive of the idea of a US Note with Harriet Tubman on it.

He's been arrested / charged in multiple countries as a counterfeiter, even though he never claims his bills are legal tender and they are only ever one-sided. I believe he was exonerated on all charges and last I heard the US government owned 10s of thousands of dollars worth of his art, which they considered evidence and refused to return to him.

There used to be a great documentary on Boggs on Youtube but I don't see it anymore. He passed away a few years ago.
posted by dobbs at 8:00 AM on October 16, 2019 [3 favorites]

Herb and Dorothy is a wonderful documentary about an art-collecting elderly couple active in New York since the 50s or 60s, who bartered and traded with up-and-coming minimalist and conceptual artists in return for their advice and good taste.
posted by migurski at 10:04 AM on October 16, 2019