Rocketman! – Played and Remade – The Piano Shop Bath
Kirk Andrews
Rocketman
Created from 100% recycled and reworked piano parts and my heart and soul from January to April 2024.
I am honoured to have been invited by Jon Kelly of The Piano Shop Bath to create artwork for his inspired ‘Played and Remade’ project.
To rework pianos that have come to the end of their time and give them new life as a piece of art is a wonderful thing and I have been passionately inspired and driven.
Working from a new studio at the Red House Glass Cone, Stourbridge I had space for the dismantling of parts, machining, painting and fixing.
My vision for the face as a mosaic came to life as I handcut over 800 (1cm) cube blocks from the piano keys.
Each block was cut with a tenon saw, filed to smooth and take edges off, then hand chiseled to follow the facial features.
Fixing them to the Baby Grand Piano ‘canvas’ with glue and panel pins, then individually punching in the pins, filling and painting.
Decorative fretcuts and wooden components were used for the glasses and also formed the fancy detail of the jacket, along with the use of some brass candle holders all cut by hand.
The boa scarf is created using piano hammer components, and if you study the base of the microphone, you will see an inverted piano pedal.
This artwork is for sale and ‘Played and Remade’ can be viewed from 1 May 2024 at The Piano Shop Bath in London Road.
I really hope that Elton John gets to see this portrait.
Link to the Guardian article HERE.
Check out my Facebook reel HERE.
Massive thanks to the management and team at the Red House Glass Cone for finding me a studio at short notice and for all their support.
The artwork is inspired by an amazing photograph by Robert Knight.
#playedandremade #thepianoshopbath #elton john
