Kuhl: I see Monique like a sister, as she knows me better than anybody does. We often finish each other’s sentences or simply know what the other is thinking without saying anything. I was drawn to her at first as a friend because she is my opposite in many ways: she is bold, outgoing, lacks social anxiety, and thrives on interaction with others. I believe these differences keep us together as friends and keep the collaboration interesting.

库尔：莫妮卡像是我的姐姐，她比任何人都了解我。我们经常心有灵犀。我最初被她吸引是因为她在很多方面都和我截然不同，她很勇敢，外箱，非常自如，

Leyton: Brad is my best friend, pure and simple. I am blessed to have Brad in my life. He is a critic, thoughtful, goal-oriented and a dreamer hidden under a mathematician. We are a team. We have been working together so long that I do not have to explain my thoughts to him; it is instant understanding. There are few people who change your life. Brad has done that for me and continues to do so. I cannot imagine any step in life, art or otherwise carried out without his council. He is my therapist, teammate, brother from another mother and partner in crime.

In the past 15 years two dates stand out: 2001 and 2008. One is marked by violence, another by financial collapse. Warren Buffet called the Great Recession of 2008 poetic justice for bankers. American banks had become the modern-day equivalent of the Titanic: too big to fail. In the many years after the financial collapse of 2008, much of the burden has fallen on the shoulders of the common people and very little of this burden has been endured by the rich bankers who are in many ways responsible for the financial manipulation behind the collapse. Reckless CEOs were often given large severance packages and almost none went to prison. In the meanwhile, life for the average person in America has not gotten much better. Taxpayer money was used to bailout and assist many companies that went bankrupt due to carelessness, negligence and sometimes outright predatory behavior.

Our series about white-collar crime asks questions of America’s justice system, deeper questions about income inequality and how money is suffocating democracy. Why should common people loose their homes, savings and livelihoods at the expense of a few people who have too much money for their own good? All too often race and class influence the punishment for crimes committed in America.There can’t be justice when money, skin color, and social connections blind the system. What happened to democracy in America?

I think both of us have never been married to one medium. Schools often force artists to choose a major, but I think both of us have always thought of art in broader terms than just medium or major. However, Brad is more mathematically oriented which makes him suitable for photography. Monique went into printmaking because she is more apt at drawing and color. Collage with tape combines aspects of both of these disciplines. Photography is often the source material for the work used, and color and mark making play a huge role in the final work created. All aspects of the work are done collaboratively, however. We are both photographers, we are both collagists.

We first chose this medium when we were living in Rome, Italy. We decided to work together for the first time and came across colorful tape in a stationary store. We both immediately were drawn to it like flies to sugar. I think for us the bright colors reminded us of home, Miami. The vibrant culture in Miami will always stay with us and influence our color choices. Tape also has an immediacy to it that lends itself well to collaboration. It is at once drawing and painting. It is quick and temporary in its nature. It is a temporary solution to a bigger problem.

China is a huge, emerging world-power and Beijing is the capital of this country. We are inspired by the energy and constant change present here, in Beijing. Yes, we enjoy work and life in Beijing because it never gets dull or boring. There is always something to feed the mind and soul in Beijing. You can never live in Beijing and think that you have experienced and seen everything. If you think this you must be crazy.

Laobaixing could be translated as “The People” or the “Salt of the Earth”. In many American cities, when you walk down the street you don’t always see people living their life; rather you see people going somewhere. In America, many people are in their private home or personal space when they are socializing or relaxing. Hanging out on the street is simply not as common anymore although it used to be. In China, many people congregate outdoors: playing a game of cards under the trees, dancing in the courtyards, eating and drinking, or simply sharing conversation. We see a big difference in the social aspects of Laobaixing in these two countries.

Brad doesn’t ever use Twitter and Monique says yes, but Instagram is better. We chose to make a series based on Twitter because it is a social barometer of popularity. We didn’t necessarily use it because of our personal interest in the social platform. Instead, Twitter can be used to measure whom society is engaged with and how interactions between high and low society are shifting.