Beyond the Canvas
My artworks often start with ideas first - research, historical references, excerpts, printouts, article clippings, and my own memories.
To me, the ideas that feed into each painting are an integral layer in their own right. But the references usually stay with me, and the ideas remain inside my own head.
So I wanted to find a way for them to become an actual new layer of the painting itself - something that could stay with the work as it moves from gallery to collector, and into the unknown for generations to come.
Context and ideas as another layer of work
Some of my paintings now include a small, discreet marker behind my signature. It’s invisible, but it links the artwork to a permanent digital archive.
The archive holds the ideas, notes, research, and other material that helped shape the piece - the layer that never appeared on the surface.
With the help of a technical partner through my side project, Arkhouse Gallery, we've found a way to make this idea a reality.
The record is stored independently of a website or cloud service, giving the work a digital layer designed to remain with the painting into the future.
Within the archive, you can find:
• Creation information
• The story and thinking behind the work
• A little background about me the artist
This record is designed to last. It cannot be altered, erased, or lost to time - a digital counterpart to the physical layers I created.
The things that shaped the painting remain with the painting.
Hold your phone close to the signature, and the story behind the work opens up.
Click/tap on artwork to view its permanent digital archive
Please note this opens up a new window
