Annette Kelm Leaves, 2016
Archival pigment print
95 x 75 cm (unframed)
Edition of 6
The work depicts dried leaves on a backdrop made of apparently unused American one-dollar notes arranged in an orderly grid. The crumbled rust-colored leaves of a red oak tree and the crisp currency, both originate from North America. Their contrast of color and texture subtly suggests other differences — between natural and human-made objects, individual and serial forms. In her money series, Annette Kelm combines banknotes with plants, ornaments, or often surprising props. At first glance, these images captivate the viewer with their playfulness. But what seems so obvious in these two objects is intertwined with a reflection on cultural and social developments in which money, consumption, or the economy play a role.