“System” is an idea of extreme simplicity: in a public place, the artist invites the passers-by to draw a one-dollar bill, according to their abilities and capacity. Each “artist” that draws a dollar for him will receive a real one in exchange. Then, each drawing is exhibited and sold for $10, due to the value conferred by the gallery or museum. In the case of potential sales, del Paso suggests donating the money to a reliable charity organization.
With his ingenious and simple idea, the artist proposes various readings. In the first level lies the obvious exploitation of all those who “voluntarilly” accept the game. These improvised artists will draw a dollar bill that in a few hours will be exhibited in a gallery or museum, with a new market value of $10; that is, 10 times more than what was paid to each person drawing it. This is exactly the mechanism followed by maquiladoras or sweatshops: by hiring cheap manual labor in Latin America, they get an enormous economic benefit. Then, these same products manufactured in Latin America return to these countries with an American label and are sold for a much higher value than the price paid for their manufacture.
John Nadador
