Nick Radford/Courtesy photo
Around Dec. 13, 2023, a 6-foot 5-inch, 500-pound bronze sculpture of a dollar bill appeared in front of the St. Regis Aspen Resort at 315 E. Dean St. in Aspen. For some who have come into contact with the sculpture, there were questions surrounding who created it and whether it was a commentary on the current state of Aspen as a billionaire playground or perhaps American late-stage capitalism.
For those unfamiliar with his work, it might then be surprising that the artist behind the sculpture is French/Armenian painter and sculptor Karl Lagasse, who has been creating sculptures of the U.S. dollar since 2009 when he gained international recognition as one of the top 10 sculptors under 30 worldwide by Artprice.
According to Lagasse, his choice of sculpting the U.S. dollar reflects his deep admiration for the U.S., using it as a universal symbol that represents various facets of American values. The U.S. dollar, in his interpretation, embodies the tenacity and adaptability of Americans to face challenges, standing resilient in the face of adversity and placing trust in the future. Ultimately, he said he aims to convey a universal message of strength through his dollar sculptures, symbolizing freedom and the self-made individual.
Since 2017, he has also been the creator of the trophy for the American Film Festival in Deauville. Winners include Johnny Depp, Natalie Portman, Sarah Jessica Parker, Morgan Freeman, Pierce Brosnan, Robert Pattinson, Sophie Turner, Emilia Clarke Elle Fanning, and many others.
As part of this collaboration, St. Regis Aspen will showcase exclusive pieces created by Lagasse, including smaller-scale sculptures in the presidential suites and work showcased at The Snow Lodge, with each piece being a one-off or part of a limited series.
The Aspen Times caught up with him via Zoom to discuss, with the help of his friend and business colleague Tanguy de Volder translating, what the U.S. dollar signifies to him personally and why Aspen holds a special place in his heart.
The interview has been edited for brevity and clarity and some parts have been translated from French to English.
The Aspen Times: You grew up in France but are of Armenian descent; how did the U.S. dollar become a focal point of your work?
Karl Lagasse: In 2006, I went to New York, and that trip changed my life; I felt like I was in a movie. When I returned to Europe, I didn’t have much money and couldn’t afford expensive materials or frames, so I began making art out of cardboard or whatever materials I could find. To me, it showed that art could be made with as little as a dollar. It showed I could make art out of basically anything.
AT: What does the U.S. dollar bill symbolize to you that people may not know?
KL: I discovered my Christian faith and got baptized as an adult, and one of the things that I noticed was the fact that the dollar bill says “In God We Trust.” I found that both unusual and interesting for this religious message to be on such a secular thing as money. It’s something that resonated strongly with me during my spiritual journey.
The other thing that I liked about the dollar was the many different ways it can be viewed depending on who is looking at it. Some may see it as making art with nothing but a dollar, or they think it symbolizes the U.S. capitalist culture in general, while others have completely different interpretations.
But it also has always been a symbol of the “American Dream” for those of us who are not from the United States.
The other thing is that in the future, it is unlikely we will have physical money. As we move into a world with only digital currency, I see this as a way to document it for posterity. It will be a symbol of the past for our grandchildren.
At the end of the day, I prefer to spark conversation and for viewers of the work to interact with it and come to their conclusions.
AT: Why is Aspen a good place for this piece?
KL: Oh, I loved Aspen from the first time I visited. There is something magical about nature and the mountains, and it’s a place with a lot of creative energy. My dream is to have a place there one day. I feel so connected to Aspen that I baptized my child there.
Plus, the skiing is so good between the quality of the snow and the uncrowded mountains; it’s a dream. And the restaurants are very good, too.
