MeWeFree | #PennyPopArt x Cody TheCreative

Mar 5

Mar 5 #PennyPopArt x Cody TheCreative

Here at CISED, we make sure to “Celebrate Ill Shit Every Day.” Came across some ill shit that we felt deserved a little bit of celebration. It is the Penny Pop Art of New York artist Cody TheCreative.

As the name suggests, the art features pennies, the copper currency worth one cent. While most of us just throw pennies away as virtually worthless (it literally costs more than a cent to produce a penny), Cody decided to make them into exclusive, one-of-a-kind pieces of art. He applies paint to the coins and creates tiny portraits of various pop culture figures/characters. He’s managed to paint the likes of Snoop Dogg, The Joker, The Monopoly Man, Kevin Hart, Michael Jackson and others over Abraham Lincoln’s face. I wish there was a video to show how he was able to apply such detail to such a minuscule surface.

On his official website, Cody offered an artist’s statement on his #PennyPopArt:

I believe that art can (and probably should) be everywhere. I find great excitement in taking the commonplace, and giving it another life, opening the door to new possibilities, new concepts, and new ways of debating the talk of the times. My #PennyPopArt began as an exercise in ‘less is more’ (no pun intended). The goal being to use as little detail as possible to transform Abraham Lincoln into pop icons. Since then, I have also incorporated portraiture. All of the subjects in this collection have influenced me at some point in my life. I am also aware of the absurd value we place on celebrities/pop culture icons, and since I've always taken the roll, personally, of challenging the status quo, with this collection, I aim to impact the discussion of what is truly important.

Cody’s pennies are available for sale at his site’s store. They go from sets like the “Basquiat & Works” set of six for $950.06 to solo portraits for $225.01. I’ve posted a few of my favorites below. Check out what he has available here.