Warhol Art Cash
by Andy Warhol

Description: In December 1971 Experiments in Art and Technology (E.A.T.) held the "Art Cash Benefit for Television Programming" fundraising event. Robert Whitman, Robert Rauschenberg (who, along with Billy Kluver, were co-founders of E.A.T.) and four other artists all designed currency for the event. Art Cash was then purchased by attendees and could be used to gamble at the casino style tables set up for the event, to purchase drinks, buy donated artwork, etc. There were bills in six different denominations: Warhol made the ones, Whitman a three-dollar bill, Rauschenberg $12, Tom Gormley $24, Red Grooms $51, and Marisol $88. Art Cash was printed by the American Banknote Company on the same paper used for U.S. currency (though these notes lack the tiny red and blue microfibers present in real bills as an anti-counterfeiting measure). An envelope containing one of each of the six bills was available during the benefit and for a short time thereafter from E.A.T., as was a poster showing both recto and verso of all six designs. The bills were never made available in quantity except on the night of the benefit and most of these were reclaimed that same night as they were used. These unused Warhol bills come from the Kluver archive.

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