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# Tackling the Biggest Taboo in Art: $
- URL: https://hyperallergic.com/tackling-the-biggest-taboo-in-art/
- Published: 2011-10-14T14:08:47.000Z
- Updated: 2025-11-24T16:02:33.000Z
- Description: Artist Man Bartlett is probing one of the biggest taboos in the art world, money, in his current Google Doc "performance" titled "$." I spoke to him about his ideas in the most recent installment of Hyperallergic TV.
- Author: Hrag Vartanian
- Tags: Interview, #image-position-hidden, Man Bartlett, Occupy Wall Street, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2025-11-17 09:23 (2009-2011)

[![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2011/10/man-bartlett-dollar-sign-home.jpg "man-bartlett-dollar-sign-HOME")](http://blip.tv/hyperallergic/an-interview-with-artist-man-bartlett-about-his-google-doc-performance-5638595?ref=hyperallergic.com)

Man Bartlett is [no stranger to readers](http://hyperallergic.com/tag/man-bartlett/) of Hyperallergic. Known for his 24-hour duration performances, Bartlett has been probing the world of performance art with a technological edge for years. His latest project is simply titled “$” (2011–) and involves a very nondescript Google Doc. In his [blog post](http://manbartlett.tumblr.com/post/11325368476/a-document?ref=hyperallergic.com) that announced the project and what it is tackling:

> Displaying actual bank account information in this manner is pretty taboo in the art world. Or in the world at large, for that matter. At least as far as I know. So much of what we do is built upon an impression. I want to dissolve that impression and present a more complete picture of myself.

Thinking about his project it feels impossible not to draw parallels with the groundswell of support for economic reform as exemplified by [#OccupyWallStreet](http://hyperallergic.com/tag/occupy-wall-street/). If we expect transparency in financial matters from the government than shouldn’t we expect it from our peers?

I caught up with the artist to discuss the ideas in the piece and to probe what is exactly being explored in “$.”

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