Fair Trade : The Globo Dollar : Nicky Enright
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richard_p_smith
richard_p_smith
The Globo Dollar is "a fusion of the legal tender of over twenty five countries including the US Dollar, and evokes a vision of world unity and progress, while simultaneously suggesting the ever-increasing reach of corporate globalization.
In the globalized world, 'developed' countries exploit 'developing' countries by taking advantage of their drastically unequal economies, which the former themselves help to create. This exploitation is most evident in the fact that the incomes of people in the 'developing' world are a fraction of what their time and labor would be worth in the 'developed' world.
Corporations have also outpaced governments in terms of going global, and also don't abide by any one nation’s rules. Consequently, these conglomerates have been influencing governments and helping create a situation where money is over-valued on their home turf and under-valued everywhere else. This state of affairs results in the creation of a vast and enduring global underclass that can barely make a living, regardless of how hard they work or how much money they manage to save.
The Globo Dollar serves as both an illustration of this predicament and as an alternative.
Like the American Dollar, the Globo represents a currency backed only by power. The US Dollar also happens to be the official currency of various nations and it's remarkable to note that one Dollar in the US is worth more than that same Dollar in Ecuador, for instance. And because there are so many currencies in the world, purchasing power is not actually linked to the physical substance of money. As an alternative, the Globo evokes the unifying power of the Euro and also confronts exploitation by making the adoption of an international minimum wage theoretically possible.
Currently the Globo exists as a large framed print and as actual bills which are distributed amongst the real-world economy, constantly sparking disbelief and intense debate. This work also underscores the act of 'making money' - not only in the sense of earnings, but also in the sense of a nations official currency. It summons up the abstraction that underlies all money, and emphasizes the need to transform the stark inequalities of a globalized labor force."
Artist Nicky Enright was born in Ecuador and currently lives in New York. The Globo Dollar was included in the Exit Art exhibition, 'America for Sale' – http://www.exitart.org/site/pub/exhibiti
This article originally appeared in the Chicago Tribune, by Beth Finke. Ms Finke illustrates a compelling vision of what it means to be brashly overlooked by our government and it's reluctance to simply fix the functionality of the US currency to make it easier for the visually impaired to use.
"I'm a published author. I fly around the country with my Seeing Eye dog to promote my books at schools and libraries. I appear at bookstores. I speak at conferences.
When we travel, Hanni – a golden retriever/Labrador cross -– guides me onto a shuttle to the airport. We manage our way through security at O'Hare International Airport, find our way down the jetway to our seats, get to baggage claim when we arrive at the next airport, hail a cab to our destination. I'm proud of my independence.
But you wanna know one thing I always need help with? Paper money. Dollar bills in my wallet are folded every which way to help me remember which is which. Twenties are folded in half, tens down to three-quarter size. Fives get the end folded into a triangle and singles I just leave be. I have to trust cashiers not to cheat me – I ask them to call out each bill as it's placed in my hand, then make them wait as I fold it and put it in my wallet.
Nearly180 countries use print paper money, and the U.S. is the only one that prints bills all the same size and color, no matter how much each bill is worth. Last year a federal appeals court ruled that the U.S. currency system discriminates against blind people. The court decision was not a unanimous one, and some high muckety-mucks weren't exactly happy with the ruling, either. The National Federation of the Blind, for example. NFB strongly opposed the 2002 lawsuit that led to the ruling. It figures that most blind people have found ways to cope with paper currency and say there are other, more pressing needs to address.
Then-Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson testified against it too. He said the blind can function fine using credit cards or electronic scanners to identify different bills, and if that didn't work they could rely on help from others.
The NFB and Paulson do have a point. In the 20-plus years I have been blind, I have never been shortchanged by a cashier. Even Chicago cabdrivers – who have an undeserved reputation for being rude – have been honest with me, correcting me when I've made mistakes and tried to pay them too much.
Still, I feel pretty stupid sometimes when a bill unfolds itself, or gets mangled in my wallet, and I have to ask what money I'm carrying.
Changing the size or shape of U.S. currency wouldn't cost the Treasury much more than the changes it made in 1996 and 2004 to deter counterfeiting. The new system would not necessarily have to use Braille -- an embossed stripe on the $5, two stripes on the $10, that sort of thing would suffice. The American Council of the Blind has suggested distinguishing bills of different amounts by changing their size, adding embossed dots or foil to the paper or using raised ink.
The court case is supposed to pave the way for a future redesign of American paper bills, but the jury (literally) is still out. It's up to the federal government to decide whether to appeal the case to the Supreme Court. Until then, I guess those of us who are blind will have to continue relying on the kindness – and honesty – of strangers.
Beth Finke is the author of "Hanni and Beth: Safe & Sound."
Inspired by national local currency schemes such as Ithaca Hours and BerkShares, MFA students at New York's School of Visual Arts recently designed a series of local currency bills for various NYC neighborhoods ... "students pulled a neighborhood out of a hat and were asked to research their neighborhood to determine what characteristics should be represented on its currency ... the color, shape and texture of the resulting designs reflect the diversity of the various neighborhoods.' You can check out the 'Mulas' and the 'Favors' and the 'Biscos,' amongst many other wonderful currency ideas, here.
American Pride / Brand Manifesto
The Liberty Bill Act is an initiative started by teachers and students at Liberty Middle School, VA, which aims to amend the US currency to include an abridge version of the American constitution on the reverse of every single one Dollar bill: "Imagine seven billion one Dollar bills exchanging hands each day among the six billion people around the world ... the democracy, freedom and goodwill of the Constitution - America’s pride - on every single one." Backed by Congressmen Eric Cantor (R-VA) and endorsed by Ralph Nadar, the Liberty Bill Act is slowly moving its way up the Congressional ladder. Conceptually this act has much merit and we applaud the teachers and students of Liberty Middle School for pursuing their cause and for also gaining such widespread Congressional recognition too - its highly impressive to say the least. But what really makes this initiative interesting is that on many levels the Constitution represents America's 'brand values,' and it also outlines what defines America's 'brand personality.' Therefore, essentially the Constitution is the 'brand platform' from which any rebranding initiative could begin. And perhaps rather than including all seven articles and every 27 amendments on one bill, it might be clearer to communicate each one - or include a summary or use a visual metaphor instead - across several bills of every denomination. Then occasionally interject those with bills including visual representations of various national achievements - man on the moon and so on - and hey presto we have a complete 'brand communication program' based on what makes this country great. A communication program that represents a set of beliefs and values that we all - more or less - adhere to and believe in. Wow! I'm really beginning to see the 'light.' Next stop Washington.
Andy Warhol's 1962 painting '200 One Dollar Bills' was recently sold at auction for $43.7 million. That's about $218,500 per Dollar bill. Now lets put that along side our current national debt of $11.9 trillion and counting, which is equal to a value of $110,500 per citizen. Our current GDP is approx $12.3 trillion, or $88,788 per citizen. In other words we’re all contributing about $89,000 each towards paying off that national debt. Consequently the actual value of the Dollar we have in our pocket is worth about 80 cents. Although I’m not a mathematician.
via usdebtclock.org
Follow this link for the FULL financial picture - you'll be horrified. http://www.usdebtclock.org/
New blog post by Joshua Ritchie on Mint.com slices and dices the Dollar ReDe$ign Project. "With faith in the US dollar hitting new lows, some believe the solution lies not in politics, but in design. Meet Richard Smith, architect of the ambitious and infectiously popular “dollar rede$ign project.” Smith is a creative strategy consultant who feels, “…our great rival, the Euro, looks so spanky in comparison,” to US currency that, “…it seems the only clear way to revive this global recession is to re-brand and re-design.” But rather than merely arguing for a new-look dollar, Smith drummed up an impressive wave of support for a redesign by allowing people to submit their own ideas to a web-based contest."
Read full story here ...
via mint.com
"These bills were designed as part of a science fiction story I've been writing and I decided to loose the 'frame' design of the Dollar and make the one Dollar bill match the rest. The Federal seal is stamped with the same color changing ink used on current bills, and a different type of color changing ink is used on the large number on the back of the larger bills."
Chris Neumann is an 'aspiring artist' living in Tennessee.
When it comes to rebranding the US Dollar we feel we can easily beat the competition, especially when you consider the BRICs we’re up against: the Brazilian Real, the Russian Ruble, the Indian Rupee and the Chinese Yuan – it’s an easy win as far as we’re concerned. However, if we all just sit on our hands and do nothing, and keep coming up with lame excuses, eventually someone is going to beat US down.
Just in Time for the Holidays!
On the back of the huge success of our recent venture into retail therapy, we are pleased to announce the addition of more financially inspired t-shirt designs as well as a range of everyday tote bags. Choose from the provocative - 'F**k the Fed, Let's ReDe$ign the Dollar' - and the sublime - 'I'm Having a Credit Crisis' - amongst other satirically fueled $wag. Follow this link to view the full collection ... $hop Now! ... http://www.dollarredesign.com/shop (Font designed by Richard Smith and Hubert Jocham www.hubertjocham.de)
On the back of the huge success of our recent venture into retail therapy, we are pleased to announce the addition of more financially inspired t-shirt designs as well as a range of everyday tote bags. Choose from the provocative - 'F**k the Fed, Let's ReDe$ign the Dollar' - and the sublime - 'I'm Having a Credit Crisis' - amongst other satirically fueled $wag. Follow this link to view the full collection ... $hop Now! ... http://www.dollarredesign.com/shop (Font designed by Richard Smith and Hubert Jocham www.hubertjocham.de)
Money for Old Rope. We stumbled upon yet another fine Dollar sculpture tucked away in the corner of SHOWstudio's online shop. Created for a Peter Jensen 2006 catwalk show by artist Andy Hillman, the '$issy' piece actually pays homage to Sissy Spacek (apparently) but clearly the deeper meaning is a comment on the Dollar's global status, clearly! So if you're interested in buying this typographic beauty – a snip at $25,000 – follow this link ... http://tinyurl.com/yarjo5e
Let's face it, the US Dollar is heading towards an early retirement especially if the BRIC nations have their way (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BRIC). Thank God for the grand master of Origami, Won Park. Also known as 'the money folder,' Park seems to stand alone in his belief that the US currency still has some value – at least as an art material. By simply folding and bending Dollar bills, Park creates amazing life-like 3-d Origami sculptures of 'everyday' objects including cameras, butterflies, Chinese dragons, space ships and angry bears – literally anything that takes his fancy it seems. However, more recently Park has started working with a new medium, the Euro – obviously he's come to the realization that the Dollar's demise is imminent. You can view more of Park's work here ... http://tinyurl.com/mlpv56
via youtube.com
Karl Heiselman, CEO of UK brand consultants Wolff Olins, talks with Wallpaper magazine founder, Tyler Brule, about the mother of all brands: America. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-ANQT-c-7
via nytimes.com
Still Haven't Found What You're Looking For?
U2's Bono believes the world – outside of America – is actually in love with a fantasy idea of Barack Obama. Because, he says, the rest of the world still wants AND needs to believe in, and love, America, again. Read full story here ... http://tinyurl.com/yftdn6y (NY Times)
Where Eagles Dare
Rzeczpospolita, a daily newspaper from Poland, poses the question: "Who will revive the Greenback?" Jack Nicholas? Starbucks? Burger King? Barbie? None of the above? Or Richard Smith, "the originator of the Dollar redesign contest who wants to rescue the economy of America in a time of crisis"? A tough choice ... read the full story (in Polish) here ... http://www.rp.pl/artykul/376656_Kto_prze
There is nothing more satisfying than a nice big wad. It looks good and it feels good. And what better way to give the impression that despite evidence to the contrary you are in fact well and truly loaded. Enter the 'One Hundred Dollar Bill Wallet’: it’s the perfect way to say 'I've got loads-a-money,' even if in fact you are well and truly stoney broke.
Lucky for Some!
'Although film and photography is my main discipline, the anthropological aspects of design and their origins has always been of interest to me, and the Dollar has always been the center piece of that fascination. There is much conspiracy surrounding the design of the American one Dollar bill. From the obvious pyramid and the "all seeing eye" to the thirteen stars of the colonies arranged in a hexagram above the eagle in the US seal, to the not so obvious owl found on the top right hand corner of the front. These symbols, any many more, have been said to be directly linked to Freemasonry. An organization often portrayed in contemporary media as being a shady secretive lot plotting to take over the world, and who were also responsible for many major events leading to the birth of America itself as well as shaping its destiny. George Washington, among others presidents such as Jackson, Teddy Roosevelt, and Truman, were all Freemasons. Both Bush Sr and Bush Jr are members of the Skull and Bones, a Yale based fraternity said to be one of the highest echelons of Masonry. All of which I find deeply fascinating. So, in the spirit of good humor, I thought some purely Masonic currency would be appropriate. So what does "secret money" look like? Well, its got to have the Masonic numerology consisting of the numbers of 3, 9, 11, and 13, and so on. Its got to have the Masons' logo, the compass and square; its got to have Masonic presidents. Things that are linked to Masons, such as owls, skulls, pyramids, the all seeing eyes, etc. Add the colors red and black, which are really dark and sinister. Plus a few graphic touches to convey that this is in fact currency and voila! Secret Mason currency. Now, imagine a world where everything is priced in multiples of 3 ...'
Canadian born Peter Le studied photography at Parsons New School and is currently living in Beijing, China.
Needless to say we were ecstatic to receive a letter from the White House this last week, which even came with a hand written envelope. 'Yes!' we thought, ‘his Royal BO-ness’ is writing to say ‘yes we should redesign the Dollar bill and please give me a call right away!’ Or so we thought. However, Barack seemed to have gotten the wrong end of the stick. Yes he appreciated our 'thoughts' but apparently he had bigger fish to fry right now, citing healthcare (yawn) and homeland security (yaaawn) as more pressing issues. He also mentioned something about moving too quickly but that swift deliberate action was needed. Huh? Anyway, it would have been nice if he had at least acknowledge our cause by name. But alas it seems our letter was not one of the ten that he allegedly reads every week. Clearly, our efforts to resolve this nations economic woes were completely overlooked in favor of what looked like a form letter. In fact the President’s only suggestion was to visit his website, apparently it’s 'updated regularly and is more interactive than ever before.' Wow, gee-whiz! But please, Mr President, you have to realize it’s painfully obvious to everyone concerned that the Dollar ReDe$ign Project is your one opportunity to turn this nation around, and put that urgency you talk of into real action, not just words. Thank you! PS: Can we interest you in one of our t-shirts? Now there’s an idea ... (RS)
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