Cigar Box Guitar Museum
By Katsil • Sep 3rd, 2010 • Category: Calendar, Past Exhibits| December 11, 2010 7:00 pm | to | January 22, 2011 7:00 pm |
Guitar artist Bill Jehle presents his collection of historic and contemporary cigar box guitars. The exhibit features guitars, violins, banjos and ukuleles, as well as other instruments, made of cigar boxes and other everyday materials.
Bill says of his collection:
“My approach to making these instruments is, first, to share the experience in the creation of cigar box instruments, then to enjoy something for being imperfect, and to ultimately appreciate it for being an unusual instrument. I take great pride in exploring the possibility of using discarded materials and elevating them to something sacred. I refuse to think of them as toys.”
“Working with such unconventional materials and putting new meaning into them when they are attached in a different way reflects my appreciation for great thinkers like Jacque Derrida whose deconstructionist philosophy sought to unravel the presuppositions and prejudices in Western culture. My own studies in Zen and my work in rapid prototyping also greatly influence my work. I constantly have to ask myself about what is essential and what is unnecessary.”
Bill, originally from Biloxi, Mississippi and now a resident of Decatur, Alabama, is also a musician and author. He presently has for sale a number of musical CDs, guitar building instructional DVDs and a book, One Man’s Trash: A History of the Cigar Box Guitar.
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