In Dollar We Trust on Potrero Hill

This long mural is titled “In Dollar We Trust” and is by two artists from Apotik Komik (Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia artist collective), Samuel Indratama and Arie Dyanto.   I read a fascinating article by Jim Sullivan of Mira Costa College, about how art expresses the lost dreams of California.  In it  Mr. Sullivan  explains that this piece “condemns the California Dream of a money dependent government and emphasizes the importance of severing individuals’ obedience to greedy authorities. At first glance, spontaneous groups of blood-shot eyes are featured throughout the mural as they vigorously attach to a young man and attack him relentlessly until they burn the soles of his shoes. The eyes easily manage to surround the man, allowing him no feasible escape. These unforgiving eyes are our government that is starved of money and determined to stalk the red hooded man until he submits to their immense greed.

Eventually, the eyes begin to invade the man as they protrude from his jacket and take place where his heart and vital organs would reside. This depicts that the eyes of our authorities allow no room for independence as they, “dictate the rhythm of life throughout California”  and monitor every aspect of our lives in order to ultimately hold tight reins over an individual’s decisions and where an individual’s money is spent. Upon further inspection of the mural, a single eye raids the man’s wallet making it apparent he is simply another duplicative pawn to the government as the eyes brainwash him to follow the ideal that he is only worth what money values him at. However, it is apparent the man longs to be freed of this money-deprived government as he peers up past the dollar bill he’s captured in, yearning for a present that would deem him free of constant watch and regulation. As our money engrossed government remains constant surveillance over society, individuals undisputedly wish to cease their obedience to the dysfunction and ultimately be free. ”