Money is the Jail of Mankind

Paul De Vree

1972

Print, 76 x 70 cm.
Materials:

In his *poesia visiva*, De Vree also creates works in which he uses means other than photography and drawings. A remarkable object is the poem *Money is the Jail of Mankind*, which takes the form of a sort of Greek temple. De Vree places six pillars cut out from the financial pages of a newspaper against a photograph of a crowded stock exchange. The temple’s pediment is also made of newspaper, and the frieze contains the words ‘Money is the jail of mankind’. It is clear that De Vree’s target in this poem is a society composed of profiteers and consumers. By means of a mimetic portrayal of a word, he here illuminates the sacralisation of capital in the form of a temple whose pillars also suggest prison bars: man is consumed by his hunger for riches.

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Poesia Visiva

After 1967, De Vree’s poetry became increasingly engaged and critical of society. In 1971, together with the Italian poet Sarenco, he founded

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Paul De Vree