Piano Sculpture
This particular piece uses past techniques and combines them to form a sculpture of a non-functioning piano intended for wall mounting. The backing to the piece is simply made of plexiglass, which has been given a border to help it stand off the wall. The plexiglass was then treated with acrylic paints to give an older, weathered look, with patina green to complement the copper found throughout the piece. Under the plexiglass is an aluminum framework that helps suspend the piece and allows it to “float” off the wall. The highlight of the piece, however, is the copper piano keyboard that projects off the plexiglass backing. Each individual key was handcrafted from sheets of copper, with the “ebony” keys being oxidized with an acid to give that older, patina green color. This is a technique used by sign shops to help tarnish copper and keep it from deteriorating when hung outside a storefront. Every part of the piece has been completely hand sculpted, no machines or computers, simply templates and hand tools for a truly authentic feel. Under the keys lies a tube of green neon, which, when lit, helps to complement the green found throughout the sculpture. The piece is meant to showcase the industrialized, cold feel of metal, to represent a factory ambiance that is not usually associated with a piano. However, the subject
matter, the piano itself, is meant to relate to the viewer on a personal level, conjuring up memories of home, family, and warmth. It is this dichotic nature of the piece, this pertaining to the different senses and emotions, which gives it such an unconventional theme not seen in many sculptures. It also combines the old, using muted, tertiary neutrals, with the new, represented by the use of media such as plexiglass and neon. It is with these multilayered dualities that I wished to display a piece that was both different and inimitable.
This particular piece uses past techniques and combines them to form a sculpture of a non-functioning piano intended for wall mounting. The backing to the piece is simply made of plexiglass, which has been given a border to help it stand off the wall. The plexiglass was then treated with acrylic paints to give an older, weathered look, with patina green to complement the copper found throughout the piece. Under the plexiglass is an aluminum framework that helps suspend the piece and allows it to “float” off the wall. The highlight of the piece, however, is the copper piano keyboard that projects off the plexiglass backing. Each individual key was handcrafted from sheets of copper, with the “ebony” keys being oxidized with an acid to give that older, patina green color. This is a technique used by sign shops to help tarnish copper and keep it from deteriorating when hung outside a storefront. Every part of the piece has been completely hand sculpted, no machines or computers, simply templates and hand tools for a truly authentic feel. Under the keys lies a tube of green neon, which, when lit, helps to complement the green found throughout the sculpture. The piece is meant to showcase the industrialized, cold feel of metal, to represent a factory ambiance that is not usually associated with a piano. However, the subject
matter, the piano itself, is meant to relate to the viewer on a personal level, conjuring up memories of home, family, and warmth. It is this dichotic nature of the piece, this pertaining to the different senses and emotions, which gives it such an unconventional theme not seen in many sculptures. It also combines the old, using muted, tertiary neutrals, with the new, represented by the use of media such as plexiglass and neon. It is with these multilayered dualities that I wished to display a piece that was both different and inimitable.