"Guardians Of The Temple" Gets Tons of Press
May 12, 2023
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Outsider artist Michael Robinson has captured the crypto currency revolution in a bold contemporary painting that cites several leading digital coins. "Guardians Of The Temple" references Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Litecoin, NEO and XRP.
They are depicted as weapons systems such as a rocket, a tank and a submarine. In turn, they're surrounding a confused character named "Fed." Above that, we see a light outline of a mushroom cloud symbolizing the threat digital coins pose to the status quo.
Guardians also takes a satirical look at the three leading fiat currencies — the dollar, the euro and the yuan. Each is wearing a jester's crown and is being pursued by a giant snake that has the Bitcoin symbol riding on its tail.
"We all know the Fed plays a central role in the economy, and maybe too much of one," Robinson notes. "All you have to do is look at the headlines about inflation and bank failures to realize that sometimes those guys just seem clueless."
To let viewers in on the joke, the painting includes an inscription citing Pink Floyd's seminal song, "Money." It reads, "Don't give me that do goody good bullsh*t."
We also have a triangle similar to the one on Pink Floyd's "Dark Side Of The Moon." There, the viewer sees the names of great capitals — Athens, Rome and New York City — crossed out and replaced with the word "Mars."
And to further poke fun of tour volatile monetary system, Robinson placed the symbol for the California lottery next to the name of its popular Mega Millions series. In addition to his work as a painter, Robinson is a longtime financial editor who has appeared on CNBC and Fox Business. He is the author of a book on the nation's savings and loan crisis, "Overdrawn, The Bailout of American Savings."
Working in the outsider art genre, Robinson is highly regarded for his love of big ideas and bold color schemes. He counts as his major influences Kandinsky, Miro, and Klee. You can access Robinson's website here.