Right as I walked into the museum as I do every Tuesday, I happened to notice a strange new acquaintance sitting at the entrance: an elaborately decorated piano. With hieroglyphics emblazoned on the back, knobs and meters on the front, and a rocket taking off from the top complete with a veritable cloud of exhaust, it was a hard sight to miss. Unfortunately, due to phone-shattering incidents, a picture of this beauty will have to wait until future posts.
After some digging (and the sign that said streetpianos.com, which I recommend you all visit), I found out that this piano is actually part of a larger public art series known as "Play Me, I'm Yours". Known more colloquially as "Street Pianos", the project is the brainchild of British artist Luke Jerram. From the website, the basic information is as follows:
"Mesa Arts Center is presenting Play Me, I’m Yours from March 1 until April 9 2016, as part of the celebrations of a major milestone: 10 years at their beautiful location in Downtown Mesa, AZ. 24 playable and artistically enhanced pianos will be featured, primarily in Downtown Mesa along Main Street, near Mesa museums and libraries, on Mesa Arts Center’s campus and at numerous other accessible and open-to-the-public locations, including several satellite locations throughout the city. The Twitter hashtag for the project is #streetpianosmesa."
Physically, the pianos are placed at strategic locations throughout downtown Mesa: at the i.d.e.a. Museum, the Natural History Museum, the library, a whopping three at the Mesa Arts Center. In fact, if you just drive down Main Street, you're bound to see at least two stray pianos sitting near a mural or sculpture. But on the whole, the pianos are centered around places of education, which perhaps speaks to the importance of music education. This specific placement of the pianos calls to mind my previous post in which I looked into the importance of an environment of a public piece of art, which really serves to be the context for a piece of art. However, this week I would like to draw more attention to interactivity of the Street Pianos.
Unlike the murals at Roosevelt, the Street Pianos in Mesa invite viewers to sit down and play--make music, brighten the atmosphere, draw other passersby. In fact, the pianos cross media--from the sculptural elements of the pianos themselves to the sounds they can emit. Whereas the mural conceptually required the viewers as a part of its existence as a public art piece, the pianos physically need people to sit and play--it's the whole purpose. This project is a prime example of art where there is no doubt of the art's relationship to the public. Accessibility is as easy spotting one of the pianos, sitting down, and deciding to hit some of the keys. And without players, the pianos seem somewhat diminished in their brightness, despite their cheerful facades.
As mentioned before, a shattered phone screen has inhibited me from taking any photos. However, I promise them in a future post. In the mean time, if any of you are in Mesa some time soon, I highly recommend that you check the pianos out. Thanks for reading!
I love the idea of this campaign! Growing up near Chicago, I remember when "Cows on Parade" was all the rage, resulting in many a photo op with a assortment of artsy bovines strategically placed throughout the city. I know that many cities (and tourism offices!) have incorporated similar ideas, but I've never heard of one that is so interactive! Out of curiosity, are there restrictions regarding who can play the pianos, for how long, and when? Is there a curfew of sorts?
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear about the phone incident! Did it result in a good story, at least?
I agree with you; it is like the piano has turned public art into an invitation for impromptu performance art. The public is the artist. The line between artist and audience is blurred. It reminds me how some theater productions breach the fourth wall between audience and actors.
ReplyDeleteWhenever I see a piano in a public space--like the one in the HonorHealth hospital lobby--just sitting there not being played, it always seems sad.
That's a very unique idea. I'll have to keep an eye out the next time I am in Mesa.
ReplyDeleteI've heard about this before in other places, but never in AZ. Thanks for bringing it up!
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