Death NYC – LV Marilyn, 2017

Death NYC – LV Marilyn: Urban iconoclasm and pop subversion

Death NYC embodies 21st-century conceptual urban art, questioning the boundaries between mass culture, luxury, and artistic appropriation. This 2017 piece synthesizes the artist's two major obsessions: Hollywood icons and the codes of prestige design. The collage on monetary material reinforces the critical irony directed at market value.

The Work

LV Marilyn, 2017, is a meticulously composed collage on a US one-dollar bill. The artist superimposes the iconic Louis Vuitton monogram onto the image of Marilyn Monroe, creating a visual tension between two contemporary myths: consumerist luxury and the idealization of feminine beauty. The small dimensions (7 × 15,5 cm / 2,76 × 6,10 in) accentuate the intimacy of the détournement and underscore the fragmentation of the monetary medium as a metaphor for the value system. This approach, characteristic of Death NYC, blends political economy, a critique of luxury, and the appropriation of archetypal images.

L'Artiste

Death NYC is a collective of urban artists based in New York City since the 2000s, known for their satirical approach to contemporary pop art and conceptual urban art. Their creations dissect the mechanisms of celebrity, branding, and mass consumption through the subversion and layering of canonical images. The collective operates at the intersection of street art, gallery art, and cultural critique, attracting the attention of major institutions and collectors worldwide. Their pieces oscillate between biting humor and analytical depth, questioning the status of the image in the contemporary economy.

Technical & Publishing

This artwork is a collage created directly on a US one-dollar bill, a technique that lends a political and economic dimension to the piece. The monetary medium is not insignificant: it represents the equivalence between exchange value and symbolic value. The work is signed by the artist and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and the artist's stamp, guaranteeing its provenance and integrity. This documentation reinforces the status of the original edition and facilitates its traceability within established contemporary art circles.

Conservation state

The coin is presented in perfect condition. The integrity of the coin support, the clarity of the gluing, and the stability of the materials attest to exemplary preservation. No traces of wear, creases, or alterations are visible. The artist's signatures and stamps remain clear and fully legible. This immaculate condition guarantees a confident purchase and long-term preservation without the need for restoration.

The team's opinion The Auctionlab

LV Marilyn perfectly embodies Death NYC's critical approach: brief, impactful, economical in means yet dense with meaning. This fusion of the emblem of Parisian luxury and the Hollywood icon constitutes a textbook case of contemporary appropriation. Presented as a monetary medium, it acquires an additional politico-economic dimension, questioning hierarchies of value. For enthusiasts of conceptual urban art, critical pop art, or appropriation practices, this small-format piece offers remarkable accessibility combined with undeniable theoretical depth.