HANDMADE PLANTABLE PAPER (WHITE, PINK, BLUE, YELLOW) WITH TULIPS, (#1 BEAR, TABASCO, AND RARE ERROR TAG FLOPPITY) BEANIE BABIES, AND 25 ROLL AOCS COPPER

For his 2016 exhibition, artist Brad Troemel followed the instructions provided on Pinterest for various DIY projects: aluminum cast ant hills, mushroom spore kits, gingerbread houses, and paper embedded with seeds that can be planted. Troemel shapes the handmade paper around tulips and objects prized on the internet as alternative investments to the dollar: rare beanie babies and metal coins approved for bartering by the US Government (AOCS standing for American Open Currency Standard). If the owner of Troemel’s work desires, they could plant the paper artwork – their own investment – and the piece would decompose, leaving only flowers in its place. Influenced by other artists famous for their institutional critique like Marcel Broodthaers, Andrea Fraser, and Daniel Buren, Troemel has used the internet and sites like Tumblr to add his own social commentary on the art market and image consumption.