-Taxes Taxes- mechanical bank c. 1970s

Editor: So, this cheeky thing is "-Taxes Taxes- mechanical bank," made around the 1970s. It's at Mia, made of metal... mostly. It strikes me as darkly funny. There's something really cynical about making the act of paying taxes into a kid's game, especially with that rather sinister little capitalist dude throwing money into Uncle Sam’s hat. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Oh, the deliciously absurd irony of it all! To me, this piece is less about teaching fiscal responsibility, and more about encapsulating the perpetual tug-of-war we have with our finances. Think about it – the folksy charm clashes head-on with the deeply embedded frustration taxes trigger. It’s like a carnival mirror reflecting our economic anxieties back at us, warped but recognizable. And it uses these familiar patriotic images to soften the blow! Editor: That makes so much sense! It’s funny because it’s true, right? The caricature and colours are really striking, in that 'kitsch' sort of way. I never considered the darker undercurrent before. Curator: Precisely. The artist understands the potent psychology of the everyday. He throws it back to us with a wink and a nod, making us both complicit in, and critical of, this weird machine. Are we laughing at the system, or just the futility of fighting it? Editor: I guess it's a bit of both. Like a sugar-coated pill. You enjoy the colors, the sort of retro design, the novelty… then *bam*! Reality hits. The sculpture feels… I don’t know, relevant, even though it’s like 50 years old. Curator: Time collapses, doesn’t it? Perhaps that's its lasting charm, or maybe just a sign we have made no progress whatsoever... Who knows! Anyway, I now need one for my office. Editor: Definitely, thanks. It really changed how I think about objects with surface level meanings.