Michael Stevenson

Contadora

Contadora by Michael Stevenson

Artwork Detail

Contadora is named after the small island in the Gulf of Panama where the Spanish counted the pearls from the surrounding archipelago. It was also the focus of a short film which Michael Stevenson made in 2008 exploring themes of chance and probability.

In his use of objects Stevenson typically reveals layers of meaning in both art and history. Here he uses the body of an early money-counting machine to produce a short animation from fake bills. These bills bear words from an expression used by economists to describe a market that has hit rock bottom.

Title
Contadora
Artist/creator
Michael Stevenson
Production date
2011
Medium
bill counting machine, LCD monitor, paper, ink, metal, wood, paint, Perspex, video (single channel, standard definition, 16:9, colour, stereo sound)
Dimensions
290 x 300 x 240 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 2011
Accession no
2011/14
Copyright
Copying restrictions apply
Department
New Zealand Art
Display status
Not on display

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