Da Vinci of Debt: Delusions of Grandeur and Eloquence in Modern America
The Da Vinci of Debt art installation was a profound piece of art that served as an allegory for Americanised consumption in the modern world. Even by isolating its title, we can see the ironic overtones ooze through its label as a creation that rivals a masterpiece. Sold at Christies for $400 million dollars, The Salvator Mundi, by Leonardo da Vinci, can be summarised as a piece that not only encompasses the concept of perfect craft, but also a symbol of the humility and benevolence of mankind. Da Vinci of Debt is a piece constructed with the real diplomas of American graduates facing varying degrees of student debt. The diplomas were loaned out for the installation after an online crowd sourcing campaign; In essence they are all united by a conforming notion of American idealism. The piece has 2,600 framed, genuine university certificates suspended in mid-air. Each degree is valued at just over $180,000 (the average cost of a four-year college education in the US). The piece can therefore be said to be pragmatically valued at $470 million. The installation was placed in the 6,000 square foot space at New York’s Grand Central Terminal in Vanderbilt Hall along with the hyperbole of the artwork’s title, the location and properties of the building, which draws comparisons to the magnitude of the student debt that plagues America. The piece brings attention to the Natural Light College Debt Relief program. This fund supports those who are victimised by the current debt system and find themselves in a desolate position of isolation in which they are surrounded by a cyclone of crippling fear.
Figure 1: Reserved view of the storm (Da Vinci of Debt, commissioned by Natural Light (2021))
Figure 2: Da Vinci of Debt, commissioned by Natural Light (2021)
In layman’s terms, each graduate that has ever transcended university in the USA can be said to have followed a desire to better themselves in their desired respective careers. This concept is a simple emblematic reflection of the American dream. As such, the piece is an anti-conservative message broadly standing as a testament of all anti-establishment artworks, since it bridges the financial gap without seeking profit from the system. The fantastical structure mirrors the delusions of grandeur we have about our own futures after ‘completing’ education.
Figure 3: Desk of the Archetype (Da Vinci of Debt, commissioned by Natural Light (2021))
Da Vinci of Debt can also be considered an allegory for the trajectory of the American citizens lifespan. The installation encourages the viewer to assimilate themselves within the storm and gaze at the typhoon raging from the ground upwards. As a result, we should consider the secular desk to be the foundation of the piece. The desk is ironically placed, since the piece operates as an anti-established education symbol that seeks to expose the volatility of conventional education routes that claim debt payments from optimistic alumni. It’s an unassuming symbol of the working-class, reflecting the fleeting fantasy that earthly people can ascend the social hierarchy through conventional means. The intention of making the desk wooden has clear religious and capitalistic connotations that envelope the bible belt of the USA. It echoes an isolative flight of the student who transcends educational difficulties, studying alone with a glimmering hope that it will all pay off for them in the long run - both literally and figuratively. The stacked diplomas undoubtedly mirror the menial paperwork’s permeability, progressing through the same archetypal pupil of any university who firstly learns about a subject, masters as much of its intricacies as possible, accomplishes enough to attain a satisfactory grade, and is then left with a remnant of conceded documents. These materials should ideally be worthless to the student if they have truly mastered the subject. On this basis, we can consider the large stacks of diplomas to be a direct criticism of consumeristic education that processes students and their resources, ultimately detracting focus from their goals and aspirations. On the other hand, this analogy similarly points out that these documents can similarly be logged for future reference and can be useful on reflection and contribute to the incessant theory of education. Therefore, the stacked diplomas allude to fears felt by many, as poor judgement from one chakra of professional education can often falter the domestic priorities of students who have become sandbagged by societal pressures of focusing and retaining so much information.
The idea of education is inclusive in the sense that it encourages a shared economic burden of guilt and personal financial recession, ensuring a percentage of each job market will conjure graduates across all fields in perpetuity. The desk being placed in the eye of this storm shows the clear tension of this brutality, since this part of a tornado is at its most peaceful, eventually enveloping what does not remain in the centre. This circular haven shows how secluded the path to ‘success’ truly is, as the competitive nature of the job market breeds a culture of cutthroat tactics that displace newfound ‘rivals’ who wish to attain a dream job. We can therefore consider the circle to be an invisible Thunderdome that permits ‘ethical’ jousting and encourages a gross militaristic mentality in which the weak are eaten and the strong survive – but do not thrive.
The vibrant illusion of movement that the piece displays shows the intensity of the current US education system, as the storm will destroy everything in its path if nothing refuses to traffic from its cemented position. The limited light that shines through the middle of the structure bounces off the glass-sealed document, allegorically alluding to the fractionalised paths to employment and promotion that disallow graduates to harbour their potential fairly in an open market. We can deduce that ultimately this act of God shows how deeply entrenched the concept of faith lies in American entrepreneurship. This situation places the American graduate into a position where God is Capitalism, with blind hope that the same system that affected their life negatively will at some point rectify the problems it has caused for them. The system itself is illusive and inescapable. Undoubtedly, this indisputable reality is personified by the fact that the storm resembles a DNA strand.
Figure 4: Isolative positioning (Da Vinci of Debt, commissioned by Natural Light (2021))
Foundationally, our own desires for fortitude drive us, so the biological link between human DNA and the undying storm shows the fallacy of humankind since at some point down the line we all falter, as a lack of articulate communication prohibits us from accomplishing our goals unencumbered and slowly drives us to complacency. Ingrained in all of us is the shared pain of living past our goals. Unquestionably, this piece shows that simply surviving the system is an accomplishment and we should consciously discourage less braggadocio if we are all to transcend our horizons in unison.
An irony that seems to have eluded much discussion about Da Vinci of Debt is the fact that a cheap lager brand - Natural Light - was able to commission a project such as this one. It is a similarly fitting metaphor for the piece to be housed in a historical train station well known for being the largest on earth. The piece grossly paints the picture of an analogy in which a struggling individual will keep commuting to work or vacation, followed by drinking their sorrows away as they arise. Natural Light’s connection to this cyclone spotlights an allure of irony as they grotesquely underscore their target audience who will harbour ill feelings about their debts and will have no money to buy expensive lager – seemingly having spent all their money on student loan repayments and train tickets. Communal integrity is a concept that is engrained in this project in a fashion that transcends satire and placement, as the scope and scale of the whirlwind is simply an extension of a larger storm. No matter where you are placed in correlation to the piece as it exists in the room, you are positioned within a tumultuous environment in which no life, or light can escape. The spontaneous nature of the whirlwind, and how it correlates to the socio-economic hardships that are faced by vulnerable people who live in areas that are more susceptible to these types of storms, as well as those who cannot afford to lose their what little possessions they have outside of these areas, reflects how the American fabric has co-opted this financial paradox to market a dream of benevolence for all. Differing from typical storms like Katrina that garner widespread attention and charity for those in need, this storm exists in a lonely place, where it finds itself surrounded by traffic of all kinds but cannot be helped by anyone.
Figure 5: Eye of the storm (Da Vinci of Debt, commissioned by Natural Light (2021))
Complacency is a hugely significant theme in this piece that is exemplified by the frequent foot traffic that surrounds it in a position of prominence in the station. The forlorn nature of the piece alludes to the isolated feeling of unwinnable struggle that every student with monetary difficulties faces. The absence of goodwill for what is dismissed commonly as a ‘1st world problem’ drives society further down into a rabbit hole of competitive capitalism. This is an illogical loop with no means to resolve the entire prima facie absurd ruling principle. To combat this storm, a moral progressive form of hierarchical intervention will need to be implemented to halt an inexorable doom that will lead to a reality that kills capitalistic life as we know it. What this change would look like is impossible to foresee, as the current system has existed since time immemorial. What hurts more is the fact that more transparent issues in the USA face the same sort of depressing fight as we venture further into the future and unfortunately there are no shortage of examples – i.e., the overturning of Roe V Wade, current gun regulations, environmental conservation, authoritative brutality, the list continues. The piece itself bridges the art world and the reality that it has been created in. Like The Salvator Mundi by Leonardo, the piece unites those who bear witness to what it represents – peace and humility will always overcome the restrictive systems that harbour resentment or greed. Despite this however, Da Vinci of Debt still exists in an environment in which it grabs headlines and is most recognised in contemporary society for the cost of the piece in practice.
A pessimistic interpretation of this piece would consider it to be a monument to the vast possibilities of the American-style capitalism that were present at one point for a fortunate few in the past (with an idealistic plot of land with a home) and consider it to be an allusion to the death of the concept that with hard work alone, anyone can ascend. For the duration of America’s existence, this possibility has plagued the very establishments that helped found it. The tenacity of religion across the nation, the belligerent and volatile landscape of its economic systems, and delusions of eloquence that separate the amalgamated citizens who reside there and abroad fight for a share every day of their lives. This ‘share’ can take many forms and have both positive and negative effects that fluctuate the narrative of the archetypal citizen who hopes to enact their aspirations without overwhelming risks that habitually don’t bring their dreams to fruition.
In no uncertain terms though, a more optimistic convalescent who studies Da Vinci of Debt will consider it to be an impressive testament to the abilities of those who possess talent, but collectively find themselves at a loss because of blindsided attention. Undoubtedly what the piece suggests is that we should collectively save our resources and work towards a common good. Those who do find themselves fortunate to live out their dreams while remaining gainfully employed should never be criticised for their fortune that has willed their reality into existence. At the same time, those who find themselves at a loss should always include themselves in the process of creation and never feel that because they are not paid, this does not mean they are not good enough at it, or that they have nothing to say. The concept of self-realisation is endemic in public places. Those who passed by this piece in New York,were part of a collective that exposed inadequacies and the sorts of brilliant possibilities that can be brought to light by those who wish to collaborate more towards a more socially conscious world.
Illustrations list
Figure 1: Da Vinci of Debt, commissioned by Natural Light (2021)
Figure 2: Da Vinci of Debt, commissioned by Natural Light (2021)
Figure 3: Da Vinci of Debt, commissioned by Natural Light (2021)
Figure 4: Da Vinci of Debt, commissioned by Natural Light (2021)
Figure 5: Da Vinci of Debt, commissioned by Natural Light (2021)
Bibliography
Charlie Zhang, 'Da Vinci of Debt' Is Now the World's Most Expensive Artwork, Valued at $470 Million USD’, (Jan 21, 2021) https://hypebeast.com/2021/1/da-vinci-of-debt-470-million-usd-worlds-most-expensive-artwork-info
Natural Light: https://www.naturallight.com/natty-stories-2021/
