For the first AnOther of 2004, we commissioned American artists to make merry with the world's most powerful currency
The American Dollar Bill, better known simply as the Greenback, is arguably the most powerful currency on earth. For over half a century it has dominated the world's economy becoming a symbol of the United States' economic power across the globe. From Cuba to Argentina, Russia to China, the dollar is synonymous with wealth and Western capitalism. It is also one of the most instantly recognisable design classics of the 20th century which throughout its 77 year history has remained mostly unchanged - that is until now. Last year the United States treasury department launched a redesign of the $5 and $10 bill, completing the process it started in 1996 with the new-look $100 dollar bill. Criticised for looking like "Monopoly money", this year the radical transformation continues with the introduction of colour differentiation between different denominations. Due to be unveiled in the fall, the nexgen series of redesigns will start with the $20 note with the other denominations following over the next 18 months. As an alternative to the dollar bill and its new consumer-friendly makeover, AnOther Magazine have invited 37 American-born artists to present their own versions of the dollar which we would like to put forward as potential candidates for future redesigns. The brief to each artist was simple - redesign the humble dollar - and the results are as variedas they are inspired. From conceptual rethinks of the dollar bill to sculptural incarnations of a dollar sensibility, political reinterpretations of the power of money to street design classics, the dollar bill has never looked as good as it does through the eyes of America's leading artists.
Curated by Mark Saunders, Emma Reeves and Neville Wakefield
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