Because travelers cheques function as part currency and part insurance, travelers can rest assured that their dollars are protected against theft and loss while vacationing. Once a favored replacement for cash amongst those traveling abroad, the travelers cheque is now nearly extinct, as it has been slowly replaced by the wider acceptance of credit cards, ubiquitous ATMs and internet reservations.
I was fascinated by the form of the travelers cheque and its reliance on a rather antiquated method of identity verification. Visual signature matching and watermark recognition seem almost laughable today as a preventive measure against identity theft, but they are central to the working order of the travelers cheque. In thinking about signatures, I began looking at autographs. The distinction between the two was merely symbolic, the forming standing in as an identifier, the latter memorializing a moment spent with someone admired. Richard Prince's All the Best series lead me to the visual saturation of celebrity tabloids, the circulation of paparazzi imagery, and the currency of celebrity.
Together, these ideas form Premier Celebrity Travelers Cheques, a proposal to revive the travelers cheque. Cheques are printed in limited editions and are adorned with the latest celebrity imagery, giving credence to the social value of celebrity as royalty. Authentication occurs through a process of mimicry in which the user must replicate the celebrity's autograph as a means of verification (and a display of homage). Watermarks and the presence of a custom Gucci shades security pattern further signify authenticity. Just as no celebrity worth their money leaves home without a good pair of sunglasses to conceal their identity, so too your money deserves protection. A weekly mailer updates customers on the availability of cheque designs and the latest celebrity news and sitings.
The project culminated in a commemorative signing of the first $100 celebrity travelers cheque. Lucky winner Jürg Lehni was presented with a gigantic TomKat Celebrity Travelers Cheque which he authenticated to the applause of a packed room.
This project was my response to the re-design of the $100 bill as part of David Reinfurt's 2007 Distribution class. Download a PDF of my design process here.
