Lot 256: RUDI MANTOFANI

RUDI MANTOFANI B. 1973 GUITAAAAR MIXED MEDIA 225 by 33 by 6 cm.; 88 1/2 by 13 by 2 1/4 in.

Guitaaaar is the precursor to Rudi Mantofani's Lost Notes series. Being one of the first pieces in this body of work, Rudi was involved in its seminal creative and production process every step of the way. Made with the same materials and methods of an original guitar, the proportion and refinement of this work are indistinguishable from that of the real instrument; the only difference lies in the artwork's elongation of the neck. By juxtaposing a mundane object with an extraordinary condition, Rudi exhibits his astute intellectual grasp on the essence of objects and words. Titled, aptly, Guitaaaar, with a 'stretch' on the 'a' to correspond with the length of the neck, the present work appears at first to embody logic and reason. However, its conception came from the heart.

In an interview with the artist, Rudi asserted, "Music is a true language of the soul. While a musical instrument is created with the mind and intellect, playing a guitar is akin to expressing the heart and emotion. In the imperfect world we live in, however, a harmony between the heart and the mind may not always take place. The [elongation of the] guitar is a prime example of how discord is created when the heart and the mind are out of tune. Even the best intentions can be distorted when the mind and intellect influences decisions." Although a critical observation of humanity imbues Guitaaaar, the work is also filled with a sense of hope. As surely as the strings can be strum, the player can always choose which notes to play. Similarly, the ability to make a choice is what distinguishes us as the human race.