Medium: Micro-Engraving on a £20 Note
Presentation: Bespoke Wooden Display Case with Integrated Magnifying Glass and Lighting System (Prototype Shown)
This imaginative micro‑engraving pays tribute to the DeLorean, one of the most recognisable automotive silhouettes of the 20th century, celebrated for its stainless‑steel bodywork and iconic gull‑wing doors. Engraved entirely by hand onto the surface of a genuine £20 note, the artwork captures the DeLorean with its doors raised, rendered at a scale almost invisible to the naked eye. Only under magnification does the full composition reveal itself, transforming a familiar banknote into a hidden celebration of engineering, nostalgia, and cinematic history.
Working on banknote fibres is among the most technically demanding challenges in miniature art. The surface is textured, delicate, and highly absorbent, requiring extraordinary control to avoid tearing or distortion. Under extreme magnification, Graham Short uses ultra‑fine needles and custom‑engineered tools to carve each microscopic line with near‑motionless accuracy. The angular geometry of the DeLorean, the crisp lines of the doors, and the subtle shaping of the body panels must all be formed one microscopic cut at a time. Even the smallest details, the stance, the contours, the suggestion of stainless‑steel reflections, are engraved at a scale measured in microns.
Short’s famously disciplined working methods underpin the creation of this piece: late‑night sessions when vibrations are minimal, controlled breathing, and pulse‑slowing techniques that allow him to engrave with absolute steadiness.
To present the artwork as intended, the engraved £20 note is housed in a bespoke wooden display case designed specifically for this series. The prototype includes a precision‑fitted magnifying glass and an adjustable lighting system, allowing viewers to explore the engraving in perfect clarity. The warm wood, integrated optics, and soft illumination create a museum‑grade presentation that honours both the subject and the craftsmanship.
Medium: Micro-Engraving on a £20 Note
Presentation: Bespoke Wooden Display Case with Integrated Magnifying Glass and Lighting System (Prototype Shown)
This imaginative micro‑engraving pays tribute to the DeLorean, one of the most recognisable automotive silhouettes of the 20th century, celebrated for its stainless‑steel bodywork and iconic gull‑wing doors. Engraved entirely by hand onto the surface of a genuine £20 note, the artwork captures the DeLorean with its doors raised, rendered at a scale almost invisible to the naked eye. Only under magnification does the full composition reveal itself, transforming a familiar banknote into a hidden celebration of engineering, nostalgia, and cinematic history.
Working on banknote fibres is among the most technically demanding challenges in miniature art. The surface is textured, delicate, and highly absorbent, requiring extraordinary control to avoid tearing or distortion. Under extreme magnification, Graham Short uses ultra‑fine needles and custom‑engineered tools to carve each microscopic line with near‑motionless accuracy. The angular geometry of the DeLorean, the crisp lines of the doors, and the subtle shaping of the body panels must all be formed one microscopic cut at a time. Even the smallest details, the stance, the contours, the suggestion of stainless‑steel reflections, are engraved at a scale measured in microns.
Short’s famously disciplined working methods underpin the creation of this piece: late‑night sessions when vibrations are minimal, controlled breathing, and pulse‑slowing techniques that allow him to engrave with absolute steadiness.
To present the artwork as intended, the engraved £20 note is housed in a bespoke wooden display case designed specifically for this series. The prototype includes a precision‑fitted magnifying glass and an adjustable lighting system, allowing viewers to explore the engraving in perfect clarity. The warm wood, integrated optics, and soft illumination create a museum‑grade presentation that honours both the subject and the craftsmanship.
