Israel 20 Shekel Note Bill 

Steve Kaufman made this silkscreen of an Israeli 20 Shekel bill, continuing his Pop Art exploration into currency as cultural icon. Silkscreening is a printmaking technique where ink is pushed through a mesh onto a substrate. It's a process that lends itself to bold colors and graphic imagery, often used in commercial printing, like posters and packaging. Kaufman began his career working alongside Andy Warhol, and you can see that influence here: the bright, flat planes of color, the repetition of imagery, all rendered with a slightly rough-and-ready feel. What's particularly compelling is how silkscreening democratizes art making. It's an accessible medium, allowing for the mass production of images, blurring the lines between high art and popular culture. This piece engages with themes of value, both monetary and artistic, asking us to consider the symbols we use to define worth in our society. Kaufman's silkscreen is not just a representation of currency, but a comment on the culture of commodification itself.