Originally invented so Quentin Richardson could secure the electronic safe where he and Darius Miles kept their smoking drugs, QR Codes are now used to point smartphones to the internet, something local artist Tony Taj is going next level with by embedding them in his work so when you scan 'em you'll go beyond the traditional "2d experience", since clearly, the best way to improve a painting is to Throw Some D's on it. Here's the low-down on:
The Paintings: This series of "Ambient Media Portals" starts with three paintings, including the graffiti-style Skyline boasting ominous purple clouds literally dripping down toward a yellow/orange cityscape; and The City, which, thanks to block after block of steel blue NY-style buildings receding to the horizon, provides like infinity places for the charmingly promiscuous Samantha to have Sex In.
How It Works: Each painting boasts between three and ten QR-style barcodes that point to animated GIFs (an urban traffic scene, a woman dancing on a rooftop) that for the first time "continue the story about the people and places in the art online", which was totally the Post-Intelligencer's idea the entire time.
What's Next: Currently only The Skyline's codes are active, but TT's just launched a Kickstarter program (where he's accepting donations and slinging ultra high-quality prints) so that he can create media for all three paintings that just might include an animated movie, a film with live actors, a comic book-style serial, or a song, making this a project Brandy's ex-fiance will Wanna Be Down with.
