Time Magazine ‘Money Machine Shakedown’ President Gerald Ford and Washington Politicians c. 1970s

Editor: This mixed-media piece by Jack Davis, "Time Magazine ‘Money Machine Shakedown’ President Gerald Ford and Washington Politicians," is a caricature that feels incredibly biting, even today. There's almost a manic energy to the way the figures are drawn. How do you interpret this work, particularly in its historical context? Curator: The frantic energy you observe speaks directly to the sociopolitical anxieties of the 1970s. Davis uses caricature to expose power structures. Ford dangles money, while the figures scramble for it; but note the layers being supported by the mass. Who benefits, and who suffers from this “shakedown”? How does the imagery of the "money machine" relate to ideas of economic exploitation? Editor: It’s pretty blatant symbolism. Ford controls the money, and the others, quite literally, are operating this strange contraption and desperately trying to get their share. Curator: Exactly. Davis's caricature isn’t just about individual politicians. It implicates the entire system. Think about the Watergate scandal happening around the same time. Is this piece a reaction? Is Davis indicting the entire political apparatus for corruption and self-serving greed? Also, notice that the Statue of Liberty is now being overrun! What could that represent? Editor: A loss of core ideals perhaps? A feeling that the American dream is becoming inaccessible to most? The way the figures are arranged really does suggest an unfair, chaotic, and ultimately unsustainable system. Curator: Precisely! Davis’s piece serves as a stark reminder of how political art can reflect and critique societal tensions. It’s a call to examine power structures and their impact. Even today, this speaks to broader intersectional narratives focusing on power, greed, and social disparity. Editor: Seeing it through this lens definitely adds layers of meaning. It is way more than a funny drawing! Curator: Indeed. Art like this encourages us to question who benefits from these "machines" and who is being crushed beneath them.