Nathaniel Rackowe is a London based artist from the UK. His often large-scale urban referenced structures, and light sculptures are designed to recreate the experience of navigating the city around us. Influenced by Modernism, film and video games, Rackowe uses the mass manufactured derivative products of the modernist era to recreate the collective experience and visual sensations of urban contemporary life, while incorporating a deeply personal emotional response to flowing through built space.

When Rackowe was approached about the Played & Remade project, he started to consider how the piano, as both an instrument and a piece of domestic furniture, related to space, memory, and nostalgia. The piano, in both upright and grand forms, is an iconic form, and instantly recognisable. He decided to see what happened when an object like this began to be deconstructed, to understand how pulled apart and transformed it could be, whilst still retaining the pure essence of its original function.

The final piece looks as if it is exploding, forced apart by light, with a yellow glow emanating from within, an echo of how sound also flows from within. The entire piano is tipped, tilted on one corner. Even this simple rotation, especially of an instrument we know to be incredibly heavy, demands a total re-reading of what we understand it to be.

The seemingly forced apart outer panels reveal the inner workings of the piano, the ingenious complexity, the heart of the instrument. This usually hidden space is bathed in yellow, strips of light reveal every internal detail, allowing us to transcend the normal physical boundary of the object.

The final surprise comes when the fall is lifted, and we find that despite the titled angle, despite the entire piano seemingly caught in mid expansion, it remains fully playable.

Every piece in our Played & Remade collection is individually handcrafted from recycled piano materials. Each work carries its own character and story; for bespoke pricing and purchase details, we invite you to contact us directly.

PRICE: POA