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Tuesday September 19th, 2000
Hendrix psychedelic 'V' flies into Dangerous Curves exhibit
Preparations for Dangerous Curves: Art of the Guitar-the first comprehensive museum exhibition to focus on the guitar as an objet dart, are underway at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), and three recent developments have increased anticipation for this upcoming exhibition. Darcy Kuronen, the MFAs Curator of Musical Instruments, has secured Jimi Hendrixs coveted 1967 Gibson Flying V - complete with its psychedelic "flower-power" pattern designed by the musician-to join the 130 guitars that will be on display in the exhibition. Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter James Taylor has agreed to narrate the exhibitions audio guide which will lead visitors through four centuries of these beautifully designed instruments. And John Hancock Financial Services has signed on as exhibition sponsor for Dangerous Curves, which will be on view in the MFAs Gund Gallery from November 5, 2000 through February 25, 2001. Tickets are currently being reserved by Museum members and will go on sale to the general public October 1, 2000.
Twenty Gibson guitars are featured in the exhibit including a Gibson U Harp guitar ca. 1920, a 1938 SJ-200 , a 1952 Les Paul Goldtop, and a '61 Les Paul SG Standard, all of which are still manufactured by Gibson's Custom, Art, and Historic division.
The Gibson Custom Shop's recently released '67 Mahogany Flying V Reissue represents an accurate reproduction of the Flying V considered by most to be the pinnacle year for this 1950's radical classic. Gibson's original Flying V of 1958 was so far ahead of its time that even the first reissues, almost 10 years later, were only moderately successful. Finally, in the late '60s and early '70s, progressive rockers such as Hendrix embraced the V, and the 1967 version lives on today.
Specification reproductions include neck angle, headstock profile and size, and neck shape. Incorporating these structural elements insures the guitar has its original tonality and playing "feel."
Featuring more than 130 instruments from museums and private collections around the world, Dangerous Curves will examine more than four hundred years of guitar design innovation, addressing why this icon of popular culture has undergone far greater changes than any other musical instrument. The objects that will be on view in the exhibition, from courtly Baroque pieces to contemporary creations, explore how the forces of fashion, technology and musical tastes have influenced the look of the guitar. Highlights will include a 17th-century guitar created by famous violin maker, Antonio Stradivari; whimsical lyre guitars from the 19th-century; flat-top and arch-top guitars of the 20th-century; and electric guitars-many owned by celebrity artists such as Les Paul, Prince, Kix Brooks, and Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick.
"More than any other instrument, the guitar has been interpreted with extraordinary variety of form and decoration, always reflecting the aesthetics of the time," said Darcy Kuronen, who organized the exhibition. "Dangerous Curves features - for the first time - four hundred years of guitars, resulting in an exhibition that will instill deeper appreciation for the artistry that has contributed to the guitars unmistakable appeal."
In addition to the guitars on display in Dangerous Curves, video monitors within the exhibition will explore the guitars well-known on-stage persona, while an audio guide (which is included in the ticket price) narrated by James Taylor will lead visitors on a tour of the galleries, incorporating the music and opinions of some of todays most influential guitarists. The MFA will also be coordinating a number of educational programs and musical performances throughout the run of the exhibition (details to be announced at a later date).
Log onto www.mfa.org for more information or call 617.369.3368 for more information.
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