TAYLOR SMITH

The Vinyl Series

Music has an extraordinary ability to transport us through time. The Vinyl Series transforms the albums that defined generations into original mixed-media paintings built from thousands of vintage floppy disks — bridging the analog era of vinyl with the dawn of personal computing. Each work celebrates not only an iconic recording, but the memories, people, and moments forever connected to it.

Every painting is a unique original, distinguished by software-inspired version numbers that reflect the continuing evolution of the series. At its center, each record label is meticulously reimagined and recreated from the ground up — not reproduced — combining newly reimagined original graphic design with handcrafted aluminum construction, dimensional layers, and carefully balanced matte and gloss finishes like the classic vinyl records of the 1970s. Together, these elements create an artwork that rewards close viewing, revealing textures, depth, and craftsmanship that cannot be fully experienced in reproduction.

Built by Hand

Every painting in the Vinyl Series is meticulously handcrafted in Taylor’s studio. Constructed from thousands of authentic vintage computer floppy disks, each work incorporates dimensional mixed-media elements that reveal subtle changes in texture and light as the viewer moves around the piece.

The record center labels are among the series' most distinctive features. Rather than reproducing the original album labels, each one is thoughtfully reimagined and recreated from the ground up as an original graphic design. Precision-cut aluminum, raised dimensional printing, and carefully balanced matte and gloss finishes create a tactile surface that rewards close inspection and reinforces the dialogue between the analog era of vinyl records and the emerging digital language of the floppy disk.

No two paintings are identical. Every work is an original, continuing the evolving visual archive of the Vinyl Series through its own unique interpretation and software-inspired version number.

THE VINYL SERIES
Original Mixed-Media Paintings Celebrating the Albums That Defined Generations

Each original painting is handcrafted from hundreds of authentic vintage floppy disks, bringing together music, memory, craftsmanship, and the dawn of the digital age.

THE VINYL SERIES

Original Mixed-Media Paintings Reimagining Iconic Recordings

Music has an extraordinary ability to transport us through time. The Vinyl Series transforms the albums that defined generations into original mixed-media paintings built from thousands of authentic vintage floppy disks collected and preserved over many years, bridging the analog era of vinyl with the dawn of personal computing. Each work celebrates not only an iconic recording, but also the memories, people, and moments forever connected to it.

Built by Hand

Every painting in The Vinyl Series is meticulously handcrafted in Taylor Smith's studio. Constructed from hundreds of authentic vintage computer floppy disks, each work reveals subtle changes in texture, light, and color as the viewer moves around the piece, creating an experience that cannot be fully appreciated through photographs alone.

At the heart of every painting is an original reinterpretation of an iconic record label. Rather than reproducing historic album artwork, each center label is thoughtfully reimagined and recreated from the ground up through original graphic design. Precision-cut aluminum, raised dimensional printing, and carefully balanced matte and gloss finishes create a tactile surface that echoes the visual language of classic vinyl records while remaining unmistakably original.

Every painting is assembled by hand and no two works are similar. From across the room, the artwork evokes the unmistakable identity of a beloved album. Up close, hundreds of individually placed floppy disks, dimensional surfaces, and handcrafted details reveal themselves, rewarding careful observation. Inspired by the language of early computer software, each work carries its own version number — reflecting the continuing evolution of the series and the belief that creativity, like technology itself, is always advancing.

The Story Behind the Series

Every generation has its soundtrack.

Certain albums become inseparable from the moments that define our lives — the people we loved, the places we lived, the road trips we took, and the milestones that shaped us. Long after we forget where we left our keys or what we had for dinner last week, a familiar song can instantly transport us back to another place and another time.

The Vinyl Series was born from that extraordinary relationship between music and memory.

The series brings together two technologies that transformed how we experience music and information. The vinyl record represents ritual, artistry, and the emotional experience of listening. The floppy disk represents the dawn of personal computing and the digital revolution that forever changed the way we create, store, and share our lives.

Both objects were once considered everyday technology. Today, each has become a powerful cultural artifact. By uniting them within a single artwork, the series creates a conversation between analog and digital, permanence and obsolescence, nostalgia and innovation.

Ultimately, The Vinyl Series is about far more than music. It is about memory, craftsmanship, technological evolution, and the objects that quietly accompany our lives before becoming symbols of an entire generation. Through these paintings, familiar albums become new visual experiences, inviting viewers to rediscover the music — and perhaps a part of themselves — with every closer look.

Explore the Collection

Original paintings from The Vinyl Series.

THE SERIES CONTINUES

The Vinyl Series is an evolving body of work. New landmark recordings are continually being reimagined and added to the collection as the series grows.

Bruce Springsteen
Born to Run

Rolling Stones
Exile on Main St.

Van Halen
1984

Eagles
Hotel California

U2
The Joshua Tree

The Clash
London Calling

Run DMC
Raising Hell

The Beatles
The White Album

The Beatles
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

David Bowie
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars

Blondie
Parallel Lines

AC/DC
Back in Black

Steely Dan
Aja

Talking Heads
Remain in Light

The Police
Synchronicity

Michael Jackson
Thriller

Additional works are continually being developed as The Vinyl Series evolves.