The Poetics of Money

            I’ll admit that I was hesitant to start reading The Genius of Money by John Bloom when it was first introduced in class. However, I quickly gained interest in the book, as I was lead into an investigation of money from a unique artistic perspective.  The opening section, “The Poetics of Money” follows selected artworks from Ancient Greece to Contemporary New York in order to better understand the iconic imagery of money in transforming generations.

            Bloom’s desire to shine a light on how ideologies and attitudes are formed about money both consciously and subconsciously is an engaging invitation into the psychological characteristics of business. In social psychology we are taught about social schemas, which are used in everyday life in order to help us understand and explore the world. From a young age social schemas are developed through experience to inform individuals what to expect in a variety of situations and are then stored in long-term memory for later recall. John Bloom’s analysis of renowned artwork highlights an avenue through which social schemas mold perspectives of money in early development.

            Before we are even old enough to have money we are taught about the necessity and desire to obtain money. John Bloom aims to support freethinking and hopes to inspire “our own consciousness”, but I have to question to what extent this is possible.  The first section of his book illustrates that for hundreds of years individuals have questioned the role and power of money in society, but have failed to spark any real change. Money only appears to gain ground in its constricting grasp and control over our lives with each passing generation.