The Macro Dinero series by Geoff Weiser showcases demonetized bank notes from different countries throughout different time periods. Re-contextualizing the money through cropping and scaling shifts the focus from the monetary to the aesthetic, allowing the viewer to appreciate the design without knowing the original source. The prints are given a new life separate from their identity as currency. It asks the viewer questions about their own relationships to currency. What is money? Why is it important? What is its value?

From an early age I developed a fascination with money from other countries. My father would return from business trips to countries like Canada, Germany, Denmark, and Japan and present me with his left-over bills and pocket change for my ever-growing collection. As a graphic designer, I appreciate currency from a design perspective. I see the effort of layout and color palette, always evolving with the technology and printing techniques to stay ahead of forgery.

Now when I travel, I inspect the bills closely and have developed an appreciation for the beautiful and intricate design that goes overlooked by most. It’s easy to miss the beauty in the design of money from your own culture because it is so familiar, but when presented with foreign bank notes they don’t hold the same meaning. One is slightly removed from their value and I find this detachment allows me to to see the bills with fresh eyes, not just as currency, but as a piece of design. The concept of money and its actual value is becoming more ephemeral as we move further into electronic transactions, and a cashless society. This transition from analog to digital breeds a new fascination with the past in much the same way as the resurgence in collecting vinyl records. As we transition into a world in which paper currency ceases to exist this body of work takes on a new significance.