Website · Tony La Salle
The art is the hero.
A gallery website for painter Tony La Salle in Lambertville, New Jersey, built so the interface recedes and the paintings carry the page.
The goal
Showcase the work, not the website. The interface sits in the background so each colorful painting stands out as a group and on its own. The site was coded responsive to protect the longevity and value of the investment, with larger images, a copyright protection statement, and the ability for Tony to edit and manage the site himself.
The approach
Working through Discuss, Discover, Design, Develop, and Delivery, we settled the important decisions early and carried them all the way to launch. We looked at other artist sites, some full-screen sites, and some photography sites.
Our recommendation was to keep the site minimal so the art would play the hero and the site would play the sidekick. The result is an understated but essential frame to hold the artwork.
Homepage slideshow
Not everyone needs a billboard on their homepage. Tony did. We built a slideshow that accommodates paintings of any proportion, wide or tall. Rather than sit them on white, black, or a neutral, we duplicate the foreground image, add a dynamic blur, and darken it. The moody effect enhances the brilliance of the colors.
Built to be responsive
Tony's location on the corner of Bridge and Union in Lambertville, New Jersey is a traffic hub for commuters to Princeton, Trenton, and New York, which is his ideal demographic. When someone runs a hands-free search for his gallery on a phone, the site had to look beautiful at that size. It does.
Client managed
The site runs on WordPress so Tony and his staff can manage, edit, and enjoy updating it. No maintenance fees to change the contents, and no waiting to post the latest work. The site works for him rather than the other way around.