Any classy musical instrument fountain needs to be topped with a saxophone
Yesterday I found out that the theatre I performed in for over two weeks, had a really interesting fountain in its lobby. Sadly I never saw it, but luckily my partner did, and was kind enough to snap a quick picture of it…
This fountain—made up of a bunch of old musical instruments—is by the American artist Chuck Brush. Brush is from the San Diego region of California, and when making this piece of art, used a tuba bell, a French horn, two trombone bells, a frumpet, concert and marching mellophones, a marching French horn, a piano keyboard, and of course an alto saxophone as a topper.
When I saw this photo yesterday, I decided to do some research and see what I could come up with both about the artist, and the sculpture itself. I was also interested about what kind of saxophone Brush used in this sculpture, since it was a little hard to positively ID from the single photo.
Luckily Google was my friend, and I came across this dedication video of the sculpture from 2013.
This video also allowed me the following screen grab, which confirmed my suspicions that the alto saxophone that Brush used in this musical instrument fountain was an Bundy, likely circa 1970s.
The saxophone was important to the creation of the first musical instrument fountain by Brush
Chuck Brush apparently likes to keep quite a low profile, since Googling him didn’t turn up a website, or any social media links that appeared to be his. I did find a couple of interesting articles about his work as a sculpture which are note-worthy however.
The first is from the October 14, 2008 edition of the Houston Chronicle. It in part reads:
One peek inside a small shed loaded with band instruments for sale got Chuck Brush humming a new tune in creating workable fountains and other metal sculptures.
It was about two years ago, at a time when the Spring Branch sculptor was looking for less expensive copper. He bought the shed and its contents. Trumpets, french horns, sousaphones, tubas and, Brush’s personal favorite, the saxophone, became the impetus for his sculptures, with or without water-flowing components, of animals and other curved-metal images…
“Brass instruments are expensive, but they were getting relatively cheaper as the cost of copper went up. A sheet is now about $300. I was looking for more cost-effective methods, but it hasn’t worked that way,” said Brush, 60. “Working with brass is so time-consuming.”
Using musical instruments saves on his time, he said, because instruments already incorporate in their shapes the hardest thing to make in working with sheet metal: the compound curve.
“The most difficult part of working in sheet metal is the compound curve, the bell curve on the instrument. Over the years of forming sheet metal to my will, I developed a kind of lust for the compound curve,” Brush said. “And instruments are just filled with them.”…
Though he now scouts musical instrument sales for his art, he acknowledges that he’s never used an instrument for its intended purpose.
“I’ve never played,” he said.
Chuck Brush’s work has not gone unnoticed. According to this article on the Musicstar (formerly Southern California Music School) website, a musical instrument fountain that Brush made was sold to a member of the Rolling Stones. That sculpture was, in 2014 anyway, at a New York gallery. The instruments used in that sculpture were in part donated by Musicstar.
So now that I know that such a musical instrument fountain exists relatively close to home, I will have to go and Chuck Brush’s sculpture for myself. If I had the space for a sculpture like this, I would put one in my home. How about you?
