New York artist Tom Sachs, born in 1966, is known for his sharp examination of pop culture and everyday aesthetics. In his works, he humorously reproduces modern consumer goods and ordinary objects, thereby questioning the values and contradictions of affluent societies.
His work One resembles a US one-dollar bill. By enlarging it approximately twentyfold, Tom Sachs draws attention to the complex imagery on the back of the banknote. The word “ONE” is flanked by the Great Seal of the United States. On the left is an unfinished pyramid with the Eye of Providence at its apex; on the right is the bald eagle, the national emblem of the USA. At the top center, we see the inscription “IN GOD WE TRUST.” This phrase comes from a line in the American national anthem and became the official motto of the United States in 1956. During the Cold War, the Christian-influenced nation wanted to distance itself from the atheistic ideology of communism.
With a simple artistic gesture, that of enlargement, Tom Sachs transforms the banknote into a seemingly sacred object, one that reflects the ideological self-image of the United States, merging money, state, and faith into a single image.