Coin of Maurice Tiberius c. 593 - 594

This coin, created by Maurice Tiberius, is this funny little metal object – it’s so worn, but it’s all there, right? The thing about coins is that they’re made by banging different dies together. You know, positive and negative – and that’s a kind of printing process. It’s this layering of impressions that creates the image. What I like is that they're made to be replicated, but each one ends up so different, kind of like a monotype. I mean, look at the surface. There’s this tension between its original gleam and this incredible build-up of what looks like green corrosion – kind of lovely! It's a reminder that art is also about time. It's about the touch of hands, the rubbing together of ideas, the constant remaking of the world. Maybe it reminds me a little of Vija Celmins – this tiny object, but so monumental at the same time. But hey, that’s just me.