The Concept

On the surface, the idea is simple:

1. Create a series of portraits, using the age-old glazing techniques of the 17th Century masters.
2. Arrange a public exhibition of the work in a well-known museum or other traditional fine art forum.
3. Invite the community to interact with the paintings in both a visual and tactile way: approach the work, photograph it, sketch it, recreate and re-use the images, and by all means, please do touch the paintings.
4. Observe and report on the resulting affect on the work, through a continuously updated online community (www.theHRproject.net) maintained by the artist.
5. Ask that visitors share photos they have taken of themselves interacting with the work at www.theHRproject.net.

The project intends to provide public access to artwork in a personal and approachable way, by removing some of the usual barriers set up to protect works of art. Docents or other gallery attendants are asked to encourage visitors to approach and touch the paintings, and therefore become a part of the project. The affect that this interaction has on the paintings over time then becomes another layer in the work itself. It is impossible to predict the characteristics of this final layer, and that becomes a further purpose of the experiment. I am interested to know if the impact of allowing visitors to touch the work will become a visible change over time, or only conceptual in nature.