About the Buried Notes Series Duration: November 2008 to August 2009 Location: Zomba, Malawi (SE Africa) I am keenly interested in the life cycle of a material. Prior to my departure to Malawi I had to plan what tools to pack, I thought I would be working with small hand tools on small-scale objects. However, after spending several days at Chancellor College and milling about the fine and performing art facilities, I noticed a piano buried in the kiln room. As a sculptor that works with a variety of materials I was excited about the possibilities of the piano but unprepared for the dismantling process. After gathering and purchasing tools I started to disassemble the upright piano. I found a coin from 1965 (Rhodesia) wedged in one of the planks -- giving a possible clue to the history of this material. The piano itself was made in England. I took apart the piano piece by piece. I arranged the components on the studio floor and drew myself a “system” (no cuts and I had to use every piece). I created several iterations using this system before integrating the materials into the neighborhood. I built a swing, used components to build a gate, and used some of the wood for constructing an oven. One man from the university found a use for the casters (attached them to his couch so he could sweep under it). Home Projects | Archives | Information | Updates |