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Ken Butler
"Briefcase Guitar" hybrid musical instrument sculpture, assemblage

1981

$5,500
£4,190.16
€4,831.42
CA$7,697.14
A$8,600.27
CHF 4,498.89
MX$105,466.88
NOK 57,487.34
SEK 54,513.22
DKK 36,059.49
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About the Item

Ken Butler’s hybrid musical instrument sculptures explore the interaction and transformation of common and uncommon objects, sounds, and altered images. Function and form collide in the intersections of art and music. Created primarily from urban detritus, the hybrid instruments express a poetic spirit of reinvention and hyper-utility as hidden meanings and associations momentarily create a striking and re-animated cultural identity for common objects. Bridging fine art, craft, and music, the hybrids exist as ergonomic functional musical instruments as well as sculpture; they are constructed from readily available consumer objects designed to perform a different function, and when amplified are shaped with cutting-edge sound processing allowing artful musical sounds and expression.
  • Creator:
    Ken Butler (American)
  • Creation Year:
    1981
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 36 in (91.44 cm)Width: 12 in (30.48 cm)Depth: 4 in (10.16 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    New York, NY
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU69210480852

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