-Pay Phone- mechanical bank c. 1928

This “Pay Phone” bank, down at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, is a reminder of the way we used to connect. Think about the person who designed it, Russell A. Frisbie, picturing the weight and the texture of the metal in their hands. See how the surface has aged? It's got this gorgeous patina, like layers and layers of touch and memory. This piece has a real presence. It's a sculpture about communication and money, about a time when making a call wasn't just a swipe and a tap. It makes me think about folks like Claes Oldenburg, who also took everyday objects and turned them into something monumental and thought-provoking. Frisbie’s piece makes me ponder the way our interaction with objects evolves, mirroring our relationships to each other. The artist is in conversation with the past, reimagining it. Just like how artists today keep the dialogue going, taking what came before and remixing it into something new.