Parting Shot

Click to enlarge. CREDIT: Steve Rossi

Clearly this object is made from recycled parts… but recycled from what? Would you have guessed pianos? A visit to a piano rebuilding facility inspired two Connecticut artists, Penny Putnam and Shauna Holiman, to get together to make art. They create works out of all the components of the piano: keys, strings, soundboard, and wooden and metal parts. Sometimes the constructions are fashioned entirely from piano parts; sometimes they create mixed-media pieces on boards. Sometimes the works are sculptures; sometimes the parts inspire paintings or photography. “Whirlygig,” at 36 inches square, is made of 13 wippens (the mechanism that allows for rapid repetition of a note) and 13 hammers on a black lacquered board. To see more of their creations, go to www.pianoasart.com. Once you enter the site, clicking on the white keys brings up individual art works; clicking the black keys gives you more information.