INTERVIEW

AN UNREMARKABLE OBJECT
– An interview with Kota Okuda

What are your favorite parts of the one-dollar bill on a purely aesthetic level?

There’s the iconic portrait of George Washington, the beautiful vignette engraving, the guilloche patterns, the symbolic numerals, the mottos, the historical motifs and inscriptions…

That’s a lot.

There is so much to see in this “unremarkable” object. And the most remarkable fact is that the one-dollar bill is engrained across the world in people’s minds as the U.S. currency. Because of its worldwide circulation, people can easily distinguish this bill when comparing it with other countries’ banknotes.

It’s a symbol of America that travels the world.

The American one-dollar bill evokes and connects deeply between country (identity) and currency. I believe this makes it the ultimate design.

I’m interested in the idea of giving the viewer a sense of “discomfort and wonder” as you’ve written in this show’s statement. What do you mean by discomfort in this context?

Once the motif of a dollar bill has been changed by me—whether it is metamorphosed in scale, in design, or in material, the viewer will pay a different kind of attention toward the original object and compare it with my new version in their mind. It will be a shock to the viewers’ unconscious imagination.

How do you define the term “butterfly effect”?

A very small change in initial conditions that creates a significantly different outcome. The idea that small causes may have large effects in events.

If I gave you one dollar and asked you to spend it today, what would you buy with it?

I would visit a bank and exchange it for one hundred pennies, then I’d make accessories from them. I like the act of exchange itself.

How do you interpret the text of the Great Seal on the back of the dollar (E Pluribus Unum or "Out of many, one")? What does that mean to you?

It represents to me elements of power, authority, magnificence, hardness, and strength.

Are you a person who carefully saves money? Or do you spend it recklessly?

I am not a person who carefully saves money, but I don't spend it recklessly either.

What do you spend money on?

I am a collector of a specific genre of rare books, and I often buy those and archival magazines—especially fashion, art, crafts, and photography publications. It is important for me to accumulate visual archives.

What about the other senses as they apply to the one-dollar bill? What are your thoughts on the way the bill feels in your hands or the way it smells?

Smell is one of the most important senses. We forget most of what we see and hear, but not the things we can actually touch and smell. So I make sure I can see the image of the banknote almost every day; I am always into them.

In terms of tactility, would you rather have a crisp new dollar or a soft, worn dollar?

A worn dollar might give us an anonymous story, and so it could have a sense of additional value. Where does it come from? Who had it before us? When was it made? But, of course, with a new dollar one can enjoy the feeling of the paper and the fresh printing smell.

Do you still use cash frequently? Most people use cards or even Apple Pay now. Is cash an endangered species?

Yes, I do. Of course, I use credit cards for most shopping but I value using and having cash too. I do not want to forget the feeling of weight and I enjoy observing the design. Currency is one of the biggest innovations for civilization. It allows people to participate in social activities with peace of mind. I do think cash is an endangered species and a completely cashless world might blur the borders of nationality, patriotic identity, and cultural contexts.