Work in Progress: The Harp

Because so much of what I do is so ridiculous, I thought I’d post it and share it with everyone. So I’m going to be doing a series of Blogs and Myspace Photo Albums which I’ll be updating over the next few months.

Since May 27 2006 – the night before I left to go see a certain band play the legendary amphitheater at Red Rocks, the idea for the installation I’ve been working on started messing around in my head. A few months later, while flying to San Francisco – I knew what I had to do. So, I’ve been working on this thing now for well over a year – sometimes more then others – but now things are – happening really fast. And those of you who are familiar with the band I’m referring to, will understand perhaps why now I must work even faster!

So, The Planets have aligned, God is having a good laugh at all he/she/or it has thrown at me the past few months and I am ever grateful, even as I am sure it will all inevitably blow up in my face. But I digress.

The first Album I’m posting contains photos of the Harp. Yeah, Rock Star plays a harp, and since those things cost more then several tours and more then I can make in a year – I just decided, what the fuck, I’ll just make one. Truth be told, I was scared to death. I don’t like power tools they scare the bejesus outa me. I also, as usual had no idea what the fuck I was doing. But last May I started this thing – and somehow it all worked out.

I even managed to make the sound board which is hollow and all the planks had to be planed down by hand to make 45 degree angles to make the whole thing fit. Took me forever to figure out. In fact, that’s how I spent last forth of July. I wasn’t out at Rock Star Bar B Q. I watched a documentary on Marie Antoinette and then stared literally for over an hour trying to figure out how to make five boards fit into this stupid friggen angled thing. Anyone who hadn’t failed math likely would have gotten it in minutes but…I just kept drawing over and over.

The weekend I spent plaing down the boards actually was one of my favorite weekends all year. I was playing the Final Fantasy 8 Sountrack, ZooTV and Bauhaus live over and over. Now at that point, the Neck and the Post part were nearly done. I was terrified that in the end, The sound board part wouldn’t work and the whole thing wouldn’t stand. “Only a Plank Between One and Perdition,” from Final Fantasy 8 became like this anthem – and sure enough in the end – only one of the boards wouldn’t fit – but the bottom line was Only one screw up and it would eventually work. Monday Morning – the whole thing stood, I was so happy.

I loved working on the harp. It’s far from done and I haven’t worked on it in a year. Truth be told, I procrastinated working on it, not because I didn’t want to, but because I wanted to know it was still there to work on. I did a little back in February, but - the next few weeks will see me return to it again. I’ll post photos. I can’t wait.



This is me, playing with power tools for the first time.


I was playing "Wings for Marie" off 10,000 Days. I play that record a lot while I'm working.


Glueing the Layers.




I had to sand this all down. You'd think it a bitch to do - and in a way it is - but to be honest, I really loved doing it.


I have such memories of that who era...all wrapped up in avril 14 and this image.


This took a long time to file down or plane down I don't know carpentry terms...



...but, I kept playing ZooTV live and I couldn't have been happier.


"Tristes Apprets" is a massively problematic song as well...


So this is the night I first stood up the harp. I dressed up as Rock Star. It still needed outside support to stand at that time.






This is the Harp as of February. Not much was done - but I tweaked it enough so it stands on it's own now.