i am a working visual artist living in chicago, il and i have been successfully working full time as an artist for two years.
three months ago, i borrowed a friend's banjo--i was looking for a 'gentleman's instrument' (sherlock has his violin) as i work, i requred a diversion now and again to 'recharge.' i thought a banjo sounded like a good candidate as i am generally fascinated with american history and old-timey music. i picked the instrument up quickly and fell in love. i have been playing between one and two hours a day for the last three months. love it.
i feel it is time to return the lender and acquire my own banjo. i came up with an idea.
i have been sculpting with cardboard for sometime now. i decided to create a cardboard banjo sculpture with the intention that the only acceptable legal tender for the artwork would ba a real banjo. i am offering to trade art for something that creates art, but also will encourage my artistic process. not to sound pretentious, but i feel there is a purity in the exchange that extends beyond money. i brought this banjo sculpture to the milwaukee avenue arts fest in chicago and exhibited it. someone asked if they offered $7000 would i take it. i told them they could take the $7000 to chicago's old town school of folk music and buy me an american banjo, then we would trade. pretty serious about that fact.
the 'firebrand' is a cardboard sculpture of a 5-string open back banjo.
my only stipulation of the barter is that the banjo for trade was made in america. i feel really good about deering(especially their vega senator).
the firebrand banjo is a one of a kind with moving tuning pegs and strung with strings from my borrowed banjo. it comes with a display stand and a case(for all that cardboard touring you want to do)
update: the firebrand was recently exhibited at the next wave art salon in elgin, illinois.
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