Once Upon a Crime, the American Epidemic

Once Upon a Crime, the American Epidemic

This installation is in reference to the sale of the Wu Tang Clan's secret album, Once Upon A Time In Shaolin, to the infamous Martin Shkreli. Shkreli is most notably known as public enemy number one or pharma bro. He gained notoriety by increasing the price of a life-saving drug, Daraprim, overnight from $13.50/pill to $750.00/pill. Due to actions that led to defrauding investors, Shkreli was sentenced to 7 years in prison and had to forfeit $7.4 million to the United States Government, which included the most expensive album ever sold, Once Upon A Time In Shaolin. Most recently, the album was purchased by a private collector. This piece speaks of the overreaching power in politics, being born with a silver spoon in your mouth, the opioid epidemic, and all over corruption.

Blown and carved glass, steel, aluminum and wood
80” x 80” x 30”
Photo by Russell Johnson