Paul Rousso

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About the artwork

"A Washed 500" by Paul Rousso is a mesmerizing polystyrene artwork, featuring a colossal USD 500 bill adorned with the face of William McKinley. Suspended on the wall, this three-dimensional installation delves into the transformative power of paper currency. The bill's washed appearance alludes to the fluidity of money, sparking contemplation on its changing value and historical significance. Rousso's thought-provoking creation invites viewers to reconsider the tangible and symbolic impact of currency in our society, offering a fresh perspective on the enduring influence of paper as a medium of exchange.

About the artist

American artist Paul Rousso transforms the fleeting into the monumental. Renowned for his hyperreal, oversized sculptures of crumpled currency, candy wrappers, newspapers, and glossy magazine pages, Rousso interrogates our relationship with media, materialism, and memory. His works playfully immortalize what is typically tossed aside—objects meant to be consumed and forgotten—elevating them into timeless icons of contemporary culture. Rousso’s practice draws from a diverse background in scenic design, digital manipulation, and commercial art direction, all of which converge in his meticulously crafted sculptures.

Through a proprietary process of heat infusion on plexiglass and other materials, he sculpts paper-thin forms that mimic real-life textures with startling accuracy. The result is artwork that is both technically impressive and conceptually resonant—wrinkled banknotes and discarded ads become touchpoints for nostalgia, identity, and cultural commentary. Influenced by Pop Art masters like Lichtenstein and Warhol, as well as the fantastical stylings of Dr. Seuss, Rousso infuses his work with wit, color, and scale. But beneath the playful surface lies a quiet urgency: a meditation on the impermanence of media in a world where physical print is vanishing.

By preserving these ephemeral artifacts in larger-than-life form, he invites viewers to pause, reflect, and consider what we value—and what we throw away.