Piano As Art: Defunct Pianos Transformed Into Gorgeous Sculptures

Artists <a href="http://pennyputnam.com/" target="_blank">Penny Putnam</a> and <a href="http://www.shaunaholiman.com/" target="_blank">Shauna Holiman</a> have combined their creative forces to develop a series of artworks made entirely from <a href="http://inhabitat.com/carol-coles-mesmerizing-steinway-mandala-is-made-from-recycled-piano-keys/" target="_blank">recycled piano parts</a>. The two women transform pianos that are beyond repair into inspiring sculptures, photographs and mixed media works. Their <a href="http://pianoasart.com" target="_blank">Piano As Art</a> exhibition is set to make the rounds of the New York area in 2012, starting with <a href="http://www.faustharrisonpianos.com/" target="_blank">Faust Harrison Pianos</a> in White Plains, New York.

Putnam and Holiman are both artists in their own right, and they met while serving on the board of the Greenwich Art Society in Connecticut. Putnam has a background in mixed water media and collage, while Holiman has an operatic background with a newfound interest in painting with oils and ink.

Inspired by their shared love of visual art and music, they began <a href="http://inhabitat.com/brc-designs-unveils-amazing-piano-key-chair-at-icff/" target="_blank">using the pianos</a> at Faust Harrison Pianos as subjects, creating collaborative artworks.

Inspecting every inch of the pianos as references for shapes and designs, the pair stumbled upon their Piano As Art style when dismantling disused pianos in search of inspiration.

It was then that they began plucking apart the ancient and massive instruments and <a href="http://inhabitat.com/henrique-oliveiras-powerful-recycled-wood-tridimensional-sculptures-burst-through-gallery-walls/" target="_blank">harvesting their shells</a> for the materials within.

Putnam and Holiman have transformed the pianos’ keyboards, tuning pins, hammers, and strings into <a href="http://inhabitat.com/studio-re-creation-recycles-broken-glasses-and-cutlery-into-beautiful-glass-lamps/" target="_blank">sculptures and wall hangings</a>.

Hammers are joined to create a wooden rib cage, or kept attached to their keys to form an abstract tuxedo.

The raw wooden angles of the tuning pins are stacked and built up to form a coiling dragon that ripples across the wall.

Even the bass and treble strings are bundled and stripped into a form reminiscent of <a href="http://inhabitat.com/israeli-designer-talia-mukmel-makes-funky-objects-from-earth-flour-sand-and-string/" target="_blank">organic fibers</a> - completely unrecognizable from their original purpose.