Signal

Origin
Signal is a companion series to Ferrophoto. Though both begin with metallurgical processes, they occupy opposite ends of a spectrum: Ferrophoto explores organic complexity, while Signal offers clarity, precision, and structure. If Ferrophoto is the storm, Signal is the eye, a moment of stillness and focus within the chaos.

Process and Innovation
The Signal works begin with microscopic fragments of Ferrophoto images, slivers of steel surface sometimes less than 100 microns wide. These details are digitally enlarged and "stretched" to reveal intricate linework and subtle gradients that are otherwise invisible. Transferred to large glass panels, the final works are as much discovered as they are created, a signal drawn from the noise.

Concept & Meaning
This body of work holds particular meaning for Crane, a former A.I. architect who led teams of data scientists and data architects, and holds a patent in cryptographic trust systems. In data science, a "signal" refers to the meaningful pattern buried in overwhelming noise, like a cheetah crouched in tall grass, or the Golden Ratio in natural forms. It's the handful of markers in terabytes of data that predict disease. It's the quiet voice in a child urging them to bet on themselves.

Signal is difficult to find because we live in a world of constant overload. This series is about seeking and honoring that clarity—in steel, in ourselves, in others, and in our ideas. Each piece represents a mediation or single moment of stillness from which a signal arises.