Monkey Business II 1976

Editor: Right now, we’re looking at "Monkey Business II," a mixed-media print from 1976 by Pierre Alechinsky. It’s… well, it's sort of playful and strange. There's a collage of a banknote with these almost cartoonish figures drawn over it. I'm really curious – what do you make of this? Curator: Oh, Alechinsky, such a delightful conjurer of the subconscious! You're right, it's playful, but there’s a sly wink beneath the surface. To me, the work explores themes of value—both monetary and artistic, of course—and questions how we assign meaning to these concepts. Editor: Value, huh? So, why the banknote? Is it a statement about money? Curator: Potentially! It becomes a stage upon which his characters enact a little drama. Appropriation was becoming a big thing in art at the time and think about how the line work dances around the money – notice how free and chaotic it seems. How does that contrast with the structured, formal nature of the bill underneath? It feels almost rebellious, don't you think? Editor: I do. I like that idea – a rebellion against structured value. So he’s making "monkey business" with money, in a way. It's actually quite clever. Curator: Precisely! It makes me think about the stories we tell ourselves about what matters and the inherent absurdity of it all. Editor: Well, I’ll never look at a banknote the same way again. It’s amazing how much depth can be hidden in what looks like a simple, almost whimsical image. Thanks for opening my eyes! Curator: My pleasure! Art, after all, is just another way to go bananas, isn't it?