Tony Dočekal
‘The Color of Money and Trees’
by Tony Dočekal, published by Void.
“For six years, I returned to the American West, a region mythologised for its freedom and opportunity, meeting people who defy the norm. ‘The Color of Money and Trees’ became a journey of self-discovery, questioning who we are versus what others expect us to be.”
Tony Dočekal
The Color of Money and Trees
The photographs in ‘The Color of Money and Trees’ were made by Dutch photographer Tony Dočekal during several visits to Arizona and California. While volunteering for an organisation working with the unhoused, she encountered many who live on the margins of society—either by necessity or choice—and began to question the pursuits of success and the value of American Dream. The Color of Money and Trees takes the form of a diaristic fable and the photographs are interspersed with Dočekal’s diary entries alongside quotes from those she met along the way.
“The work explores the tension between material success and deeper fulfilment, asking if true prosperity lies in community and self-awareness rather than wealth and possessions.”
“On Skid Row, I met a man boldly wearing a pink wedding dress. His tent had been robbed that night, and the thief had swapped his belongings for the outfit. ‘This is everything I have, all I can carry. Everything is replaceable.’”
Tony Dočekal
The book’s title references the colour green symbolising both luck and nature whilst simultaneously associated with wealth and jealousy. Images of dollar bills are scattered throughout the book alongside those depicting nature, signage and slogans, talismanic objects and an everchanging cast of characters. The book’s non-linear sequence follows a fictional, unspecified journey along highways and through small towns and motel rooms with figures disappearing out of windows and behind curtains. The quotes included in the book hint that each portrait and location have a story with narrative continuing beyond frame. Although the photographs are rooted in the American West, the book represents universal themes.
The Color of Money and Trees
17,3 x 21,6 cm
96 pages
500 copies
Silkscreened Cloth Hardcover
ISBN 978-618-5479-38-1
Tony Dočekal
Tony Dočekal (1992, Amsterdam) is a photographer and visual artist whose work focuses on identity, belonging, and the shared human condition. Her practice is shaped by encounters with individuals and communities on the road, with a particular interest in the resilience and adaptability of people living on society’s margins. Dočekal holds a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from ArtEZ University of the Arts and has received recognition, including the Olympus Young Talent Award and De Burgemeester de Bruinprijs.
‘The Color of Money and Trees’ is her first monograph.
Featured in
-
-
-
-
ENGLAND, Falmouth University Library
GREECE, Void
-
Photograph: Tony Dočekal
Text: Tony Dočekal
Edit, Design: João Linneu, Myrto Steirou
Printing: Jelgavas tipogrāfija
Binding: Jelgavas tipogrāfija
Language: English
Font: Hoefler Text Roman, Italic Swash
Tony Dočekal © for the photographs and text
Void © for this edition