These upholstered stools have a distinct colorful fabric made from an unlikely source -- money. Angela Mathis transformed decommissioned bills into fabric for her project called 'Value.' Mathis thought deeply about this project and assessed what the real value of the physical money we carry is. Mathis believes that money is only worth its material composition, essentially cotton and coin.
As the world continues to digitize, Mathis argues that the tangibility of money isn't necessary for its assigned values. In reversing this notion, Mathis uses the materiality of money as a source of value. Using money as her source, Mathis was not only able to create upholstered stools, but also a diverse textile collection that could be used for a variety of furniture pieces. In creating this unique design, Mathis used American dollars, the purple English pound, brown Indonesian rupees, and the euro.
Money-Upholstered Stools
The Fabric Used in These Stools are from Decommissioned Bills
Trend Themes
1. Upcycling Money - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Explore ways to repurpose decommissioned bills or currency materials for various design applications.
2. Materiality of Value - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Challenge conventional notions of value by reevaluating the composition and tangible aspects of currency.
3. Digitization of Currency - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Consider the ongoing shift towards digital forms of payment and its impact on physical currency and its tangible value.
Industry Implications
1. Furniture Design - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Integrate unique and unconventional materials, such as upcycled currency, into furniture designs to offer distinct and sustainable products.
2. Textile Manufacturing - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Explore the potential of transforming decommissioned bills into fabric materials for a wide range of textile-based products, opening up possibilities for eco-friendly and unique textiles.
3. Digital Payments - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop strategies and solutions that bridge the gap between physical currency and digital payments, addressing the changing landscape of money transactions.