Moneyless at the Joshua Tree

By now all of you keeping track of Moneyless know that he started his art career as a graffiti writer / street artist in Italy. From there, being the progressive artist that he is, he sought out to evolve his art and transcend the limitations of traditional graffiti. Through a process of deconstruction of reconstruction, guided all the while by his ethos of making art with little resources, Moneyless started utilizing cheap yarns in his art. He constructs complex geometrical patterns with these yarns and situates them in both urban and non urban settings.

His exhibition at SOZE Gallery in LA entitled, “Per Aspera Ad Astra” was a very significant phase in his journey as an artist. It was his first solo show and was the first time he showcased a massive body of works in a gallery setting. During his time in LA, Moneyless was pursuing another vision on the side. He had long desired to do one of his yarn installations in a desert setting and the desert lands of the Joshua Tree caught his attention.

It was a daunting task to drive from Los Angeles all the way out to the desert under the blistering California sun. But we here at DOZE, we love art and we support artists who we deem “good”; needless to say that we back up Moneyless’s vision right from the start. Through the help of DOZE’s Mark, Moneyless was able to plan a trip for the fulfillment of his site specific vision. Along with artist Martina Merlini and photographer Alice Schillaci, they set out on a mission to make art at Joshua Tree.

After driving for a couple of hours under the sweltering heat, the party arrived at Joshua Tree. Upon stumbling upon a spot that fits his concept, Moneyless started working on the piece. Slowly, through the hands of the artist, the yarns started forming basic shapes and then continued to evolve into a more complicated construct. And after a few solemn moments of spontaneously cutting strings and tying knots, there it was; an ambiguous vessel of geometrical complexity suspended in the quiet and the barren… something beautiful and intricate amongst the nothingness. A mark as good as a signature that says “Moneyless was here”. The “anti-bomber” has once again manifested his brilliance in yet another obscure setting.