The Medium is the Message: Credit Cards As Art

During the run of our current original content series, Big Issue: Credit Cards, on insideARM.com, we’ve shared stories on a variety of credit card receivables issues — whether it’s on the psychology of credit card collections or on the red flags to be aware of when reporting credit card delinquencies.

What we haven’t talked much about is the actual credit card. The literal piece of plastic that sits in your wallet in between your license where you lied a little about your weight (your secret’s safe with me) and the grocery store discount card and let me just say this about that: Why? Why do I need that card? Why can’t the grocery store just price the food at the “club” price for EVERYONE? I have a lot of feelings about groceries and food, you guys, but I’ll save it for another day.

Artist Cain Motter takes credit cards and turns them into mini sculptures. The BBC has a photo gallery of some of his creations as well as a distressing photo of him that’s all ridiculous abs and an Uncle Sam hat and something the young kids call “pecs.” I wouldn’t know about them because I’m pushing 40 and enjoy carbs. (I also think people who claim gluten allergies are really just picky eaters who want attention but can’t afford exotic pets or vintage cars. Send your angry emails here!)

Motter discovered his medium after receiving credit card offers while in college. After accepting one of the offers (“I didn’t have any intention of using them but one bank said it was good to have in case of an emergency, so I decided to get one,” Motter told the BBC), he later received a check for $50. “I put it in my account, but then I got a bill and it turned out to be a cash advance. I couldn’t believe they could operate that way and was really mad, so I decided I would figure out a way I could reverse that money flow and have money coming back to me.”

Which brings us to now, and his gallery of credit-cards-as-art. (Here’s a YouTube video of Motter telling the story. He’s got that sort of lovely dim earnestness that a lot of politically active artists have. Not to mention the biceps of a guy who probably doesn’t read a lot. Remember: angry emails here!)

The images are sometimes funny, sometimes arresting, and, in the case of one, a little sacrilegious. Overall, though, I think the uniquely capture the complicated relationship most of us have with plastic debt and credit card companies.