#stevemacleod

[octaneanton]

Octane's GrooveBox - Artist Spotlight With... Steve MacLeod

[tagsmarthq]

Tagsmart partners with Metro to become the first ever integrated and certification reseller

Tagsmart joins with Metro Imaging to launch the first ever integrated printing and authentication service. DNA tagging and certification of mounted and unmounted works will be conducted on site at Metro Imaging HQ, with the support of Tagsmart.

Professor Steve Macleod, Director Metro Imaging, says:

“We at Metro Imaging believe that Tagsmart have come up with a system that should be adopted across the creative industries. Their platform provides access to a non-invasive product that utilises the highest degree of technology; ease of use and safeguarded key-chains that allows an exceptional peace of mind for artists; collectors and curators. “

Steve Cooke, Tagsmart Co-Founder, and Chief Innovation Officer says:

“It’s a huge pleasure to partner with Metro Imaging as we have very important shared values. Photography and printing are highly exposed to forgery that is why it is important to build provenance. It is such an essential part of the work’s journey. Those are the things that really matter to us as a provenance and security company. Metro creates that physical embodiment of all the hard work that is put behind the artist and Tagsmart benefits from their provenance event meaning that we can track it on our platform. The two companies really get together perfectly.”

About Metro Imaging 

Metro is the UK’s leading professional photographic lab for art printing, film processing, retouch, mounting, framing and exhibition services.

With almost 40 years in the photographic industry, this pro-lab is run by a flexible workforce of multi-disciplined and skilled professionals so that the level of expertise is second to none. Metro’s incredible knowledge about art and photographic production helps customers to understand their needs and tailor specific services to best suit them.

www.metroimaging.co.uk

About Tagsmart

Tagsmart is a British technology company, formally launched in April 2016. The company pioneered the application of DNA tags to authenticate artworks and is now the go-to provider of tagging and certification services in the fine art market. It was the only such business highlighted in the 2017 Deloitte Art and Finance Report. Tagsmart already has 20,000 artworks on its platform attributed to over 800 artists, and has tagged and certificated more than 11,000 works.

Led by Executive Chairman/Founder Investor Tom Toumazis MBE, Tagsmart was set up by globally renowned frame-maker and fabricator Mark Darbyshire and product designer Steve Cooke in 2014. The team features experts from art and tech backgrounds including Nicolas Gitton, former UK MD of Paddle8,  Robert Suss, renowned art collector and Trustee of the Royal Academy of Arts, Aino-Leena Grapin. Philip Mould CBE, of BBC's Fake or Fortune, is also an advisor to the company.

The company have relationships with hundreds of artists, galleries and fabricators, from world-renowned founding partners like Gary Hume through to increasing numbers of emerging and decorative artists.