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Thread: Mandolins as a work of art

  1. #1

    Default Mandolins as a work of art

    Just wondering.... how many people consider mandolins, the ones made by hand, are a work of art. I was reading an article on how much some of the most famous works of art sold for at auction. Into the the multi millions and wonder if anyone thought that in time. some of the most famous Mandolin builders will have their instruments considered works of art instead an instrument.

  2. #2

    Default Re: Mandolins as a work of art

    Many beautiful musical instruments of all kinds are kept as investments by people who never or rarely play them, or are labeled and hung in galleries and other public spaces, so you could make a reasonable argument that this time has already arrived.

    I guess "work of art" is kind of a loose term that can even be applied to a salad, which makes it hard to deny almost anything that has been labored over and cared for that status.

  3. #3
    Purveyor of Sunshine sgarrity's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandolins as a work of art

    I consider them playable art

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    Default Re: Mandolins as a work of art

    I think it unlikely that any musical instrument might make its way into that lofty sphere. The market for musical instruments as artworks is quite small compared to the market for paintings, sculptures, et al. Besides, the inherent value in a mandolin is in the playing. What I’ve seen so far (I’m 71) is that high value is assigned to instruments built by a select few builders (Stradivari, Amati, Loar, et al.) that have been played by a select few artists. Even then the money changing hands is small compared to other artworks. I’d love to be wrong about this but I’m comfy in my pessimism.
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  6. #5

    Default Re: Mandolins as a work of art

    True I guess anything can be art to the correct person... beauty is in the eye of the beholder I guess

  7. #6
    Registered User sblock's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandolins as a work of art

    Both musicians and makers alike have long prized the aesthetic qualities of musical instruments, placing value in their looks, as well as their sounds. This duality goes back as long as human history. Ancient harps and flutes were often elaborately carved, brightly painted, and occasionally encrusted with jewels. Virtually all modern instruments (strings, brass, woodwinds, tympani, etc.) used in the orchestra have fancy versions -- except maybe the lowly triangle, used in percussion!

    The scroll and points in the modern F4-F5 design derived from the work of Orville Gibson were purely aesthetic features, and they were borrowed from the design of the violin, which dates back at least to the early 1600's. Fancy fingerboard and top-wood inlays are another kind of feature that goes back to that early time. There is nothing new about adorning a mandolin. Antonio Stradivari himself made mandolins as well as violins, and two of these survive. They are elaborately inlayed!

    Music itself is an art form, and arguably, one of the most ancient art forms. It is only natural to pair sonic with visual art. So YES, mandolins are works of art as well as utility. As a practical matter, modern luthiers who build guitars, mandolins, and virtually all other kinds of stringed instruments can command higher prices for fancier, more "artistic" versions. Musicians on the whoie -- and especially performers -- not only desire instruments that sound good and are easier to play, but also ones that look good. This creates a supply and demand. It's not surprising in the least!

    Finally, there is a well-established collectors' market for rare, highly reputed, and visually stunning (as well as great sounding) instruments. In the mandolin world, this market includes Gibson F5's from 1922-24 signed by Lloyd Loar. In this market, the rareness of the specimen, the originality of all its parts, the quality of finish, the condition of the instrument, and so on, are all major factors in setting the resale value. Note that none of these attributes really contributes to the sound! The collectors' market is somewhat apart from the regular instrument market, because there exist collectors who accumulate collections of instruments in their own right. And drive up the prices, too. These collectors, by and large, tend to be musicians themselves, but they seldom really play all the instruments in their collections, and they don't really intend to use them in performances. Sometimes, they are simply held as investments (much like other works of art), and often traded as a way to grow wealth. Sometimes, collectors simply like collecting those things that they find beautiful -- it's a socially-sanctioned form of covetousness! In that sense, it's no different than collecting cars, coins, stamps, watches, boats, and so on. These all have their own "prestige" markets.

    You inquired if "Mandolin builders will have their instruments considered works of art instead of instrument(s)." Well, the answer is that this is already the case. There is a well-established collectors' market for early Gibson mandolins, including works by Orville Gibson himself, and later ones signed by Lloyd Loar. There is a collectors' market for Rafael Calace and Luigi Embergher classical mandolins, too. And a collector's market has developed for some of the top modern luthiers, including mandolins by Steve Gilchrist, John Monteleone, Mike Kemnitzer (Nugget), Lynn Dudenbostel, and a few others.

    Mandolins are works of art. And quite a few members of the Mandolin Cafe own more mandolins than they can possibly play on a regular basis. That should tell you something!

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  9. #7

    Default Re: Mandolins as a work of art

    As a lot of members know, there are two major museums in the United States dedicated to musical instruments. They are displayed there essentially as works of art though there is a line between art and craft that is a bit fuzzy.

    The original one is at Vermilion, South Dakota and the more recently opened one is at Phoenix, Arizona. Links are below.

    There are other smaller museums around the country dedicated to particular instruments or styles of music.

    https://www.nmmusd.org/

    http://mim.org/

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  11. #8
    Registered User webber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandolins as a work of art

    Having had the recent pleasure to visit Tom and Pava's workshop in Austin, I can confidently answer YES. I would argue that wood selection, binding, and especially inlay work can elevate a musical instrument to the level of a living artwork. This is not to say that cheaper instruments are never art, but the creative process that goes into purely aesthetic considerations requires the same kind of process that sculpture, painting, photography, and other visual arts do.
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    Registered User Charles E.'s Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandolins as a work of art

    Only if you mount it in a large picture frame with a hidden wood chipper in the bottom.


    But in all seriousness, yes, I do consider them works of art. Far more so than toilets hung on walls or two blank canvases titled "Take The Money And Run".
    Last edited by Charles E.; Jan-12-2022 at 5:31pm.
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  14. #10

    Default Re: Mandolins as a work of art

    Agreed to all comments true works of art to me!

  15. #11

    Default Re: Mandolins as a work of art

    Quote Originally Posted by CarlM View Post
    As a lot of members know, there are two major museums in the United States dedicated to musical instruments. They are displayed there essentially as works of art though there is a line between art and craft that is a bit fuzzy.

    The original one is at Vermilion, South Dakota and the more recently opened one is at Phoenix, Arizona. Links are below.

    There are other smaller museums around the country dedicated to particular instruments or styles of music.
    Yes, in town once for a wedding, I was forced into visiting the Banjo Museum in Oklahoma City. It was actually a cool set of exhibits.

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    Default Re: Mandolins as a work of art

    I consider musical instruments as tools for producing pleasing harmonious sounds. Some are more attractive than others; some may be of such exceptional design, construction, or ornate decoration, that they get put into museums or other display venues.

    The instruments that I am really interesting in viewing in a museum situation, are those with historical associations: Big Mon's Loar F-5, Maybelle's Gibson arch-top, Earl's Granada, Les Paul's "log" solid-body prototype, Django's Selmer, some day Willie N's "Trigger." These have produced music that influenced millions of musicians and music lovers. They may be beat up, worn out, "distressed" to the Nth degree, but their pasts and iconic sounds warrant their inclusion as objets d'art.

    I'm sure that somewhere there are museum displays of exceptionally beautiful hammers or chainsaws. (Well, I'm not that sure.) And I don't mean to "dis" these "masterpieces of the luthier's art."

    I just know that, if I owned one, I'd probably put pick scratches and fretboard dimples on it. Jus' sayin'.
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  18. #13

    Default Re: Mandolins as a work of art

    Quote Originally Posted by allenhopkins View Post
    I'm sure that somewhere there are museum displays of exceptionally beautiful hammers or chainsaws. (Well, I'm not that sure.) And I don't mean to "dis" these "masterpieces of the luthier's art."
    Of course there are, most famously Wayne's Chainsaw Museum in Amboy, Washington. There is the Hammer Museum which proudly announces it is one of Haines, Alaska's top tourist attractions and presents the worlds largest hammer collection. In searching I found a chainsaw museum about an hour from my home. I guess I gotta do a road trip one of these days.




    https://www.hammermuseum.org/

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  20. #14
    Mandolin Player trodgers's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandolins as a work of art

    There are a number of mandolins in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

    https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collec...rial=Mandolins
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  21. #15

    Default Re: Mandolins as a work of art

    Bill Monroe looked on his mandolins as tools.

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  23. #16

    Default Re: Mandolins as a work of art

    I guarantee that you cannot find any category of object so humble that someone somewhere doesn't collect it and treat its representatives as works of art.

    Before you ask: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Poo_Museum

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    Timothy Tim Logan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandolins as a work of art

    I have a Lyon & Healy Model A. To me it is indeed a work of art in that it is both a beautiful appearing instrument but, most importantly, the sound that it creates is just heavenly. I really don't know any other way to describe it or to compare it to any other mandolin. I simply know that whenever I strike a note on it I feel total happiness and contentment. So whether you define art as something visual or something aural it's up to each of us to decide, but to me the ability to build something that creates that type of sound, with that type of emotional impact on the player, is true artistry. :-)

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  25. #18
    Pittsburgh Bill
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    Default Re: Mandolins as a work of art

    Probably most of the participants on this site. When I look at my Stiver or mandolins from other quality builders I am much taken by the beauty of the mandolins,
    by the level of perfection and attention to detail. All this achieved in someone’s home shop.
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  26. #19

    Default Re: Mandolins as a work of art

    Quote Originally Posted by Pittsburgh Bill View Post
    Probably most of the participants on this site. When I look at my Stiver or mandolins from other quality builders I am much taken by the beauty of the mandolins,
    by the level of perfection and attention to detail. All this achieved in someone’s home shop.
    My exact thoughts. having built many Mandolins over the years I don't really look at them as instruments but as a piece of art i am creating for someone.

  27. #20
    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandolins as a work of art

    It is tricky. When you call it a work of art, it somehow transcends mere usefulness. A chair that is a work of art may not even be comfortable to sit in.

    https://www.pbs.org/video/appraisal-...a-1910-kbm1ru/

    On the other hand a musical instrument's ability to make a sound is part of the artistic-ness of the object, and appreciating that sound is as important as appreciating the carving of the oval hole.

    Some (many) call the Empire State Building a work of art, and if you get a chance to visit it, check it out. It's being art is not impeding its real time use and usefulness as a building.
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    Default Re: Mandolins as a work of art

    Yes I swear this to be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. I have an acquaintance who has a collection of over 200 bed pans. He apparently sees something that pleases his artist senses in the humble bed pan. He runs an estate sale business and must find his treasure that way. Can't imagine where you store and display 200 bed pans. Why a museum of course! Haven't heard if that's in his plans. (Let the humorists here begin the flow of bad jokes. There, I've given you a start.)
    I'd much rather consider my mandolins as art, much like a well made piece of woodworking, that is both functional and pleasing to the eye.

  29. #22
    Pataphysician Joe Bartl's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandolins as a work of art

    On my computer is a folder with my favorite works of art -- I use this as a screen saver on my iMac. One item in the folder is this, taken from the MandoCafe classifieds some time ago:

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	1906F4.jpg 
Views:	86 
Size:	204.7 KB 
ID:	198712

    I hope that when I join Raffaele's Mando Orchestra in the Great Beyond, this mandolin will no longer be out of reach for me.

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  31. #23
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    Default Re: Mandolins as a work of art

    I have a mandolin that Martin Jacobson made for me, #37 Koi fish theme. I wish I could figure out how to post photos of it here. It is a work of art and a joy to play. I also own various trumpets built during the 1930’s that have an Art Deco theme. I consider these works of art also.

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  33. #24

    Default Re: Mandolins as a work of art

    This is one area where it’s probably smart to just take the undefined, street version of a phrase, like ‘work of art’ and use it, rather than get embroiled in formal terms. I’m afraid that if we go for an accurate, or legal usage, we find that:
    A mandolin will not be in the category of fine art, because is has a function other than visual appearance.
    A mandolin may be an example of design, for the same reason. Even if mass-produced.
    A mandolin may be applied art; that is, not fine art.
    A mandolin may be a craft item, provided it is made by a craftsperson (!).
    While this may seem somewhat academic, or silly, there are very substantial walls between art categories that, for example, can attribute nearly unlimited value to the fine arts, and relegate almost everything else to a lower-value universe. The key discrimination is function.
    That makes a mandolin that cannot be played a candidate for ….work of art!

  34. #25
    Registered User j4music's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandolins as a work of art

    Without getting hung up on the definition of art, I've been lucky enough to have a number of great mandolins and they each stand out in some unique and positive way. I was blown away when I first opened the case of a top of the line Collings and saw a pirate's treasure chest of dazzling jewels. And I've opened another case to see a mando that had been ridden hard and put down wet.

    At the moment, I'm playing a modest Heiden F; I don't know what it is, but there's something so engaging about it, it's hard to stop just looking at it and actually start playing it.

    And there's just something about a black instrument. I'm enjoying a black Clark octave that is so striking I can't bring myself to drill a hole in the heel for a strap button, and I've done that with some very fine instruments.

    Even the beaters have a unique patina that tell a story. New, old, or in between, they're all inspiring to look at, plus they give us great music. Doesn't get any better.
    Last edited by j4music; Jan-13-2022 at 11:08pm.

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