Playing Piano by Marla Hlady

Playing Piano features a partially deconstructed upright player piano prepared in the spirit of John Cage. This fully mechanized 1920’s player piano is animated by a motor and pneumatics (as opposed to being played by a person). A perforated paper roll, the physical translation of the musical score, controls the mechanized elements. The preparations to Playing Piano include various machines which strum and press a pie plate against the strings, whistle using the air of the pneumatics and amplify various parts of the piano’s mechanics. An array of sensors placed on the strings in conjunction with a computer and a series of microprocessors, enables the player piano to control these preparations.

More info, including video here: http://www.marlahlady.com/sculpture/PlayingPiano.html

Link to release on squint press page: http://squint.press/00p_marla-hlady_playing-piano/

MARLA HLADY has exhibited her work internationally. Her work is in the collections of the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa; Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto; Museum London, London, ON. Hlady and collaborator Christof Migone were awarded the 2019 Glenfiddich Art-in-Residence Prize.