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August 28, 2009

Painted Violins

As official photographer for the Durham Symphony Orchestra, I had the interesting task of photographing some unusual art works. Each year, some very creative people take violins that have become unplayable (and are presumably not worth the repairs that would return them to playing condition) and transform these objects into visual feasts, flights of fancy that may tell us something about how the artist responds to music, or what he or she can imagine growing out of the original form of an instrument designed for its function.

These "painted violins" (and in some cases a lot more than paint is used to create the new piece) are donated and auctioned through the sale of raffle tickets. This helps to support the concerts played by the Durham Symphony.

Here are the four violins currently being auctioned by raffle ticket. You can see more photos and learn more at the Durham Symphony website, here.

A Painted Violin by Paula MacLeod:

Painted Violin by Guy Aitchison:

Painted Violin by Kathryn DeMarco:

Painted Violin by Emily Weinstein:

I hope that my photographs will help to build interest in the original works, and that many who view them will consider buying a raffle ticket for a chance at one or more of them. The tickets are specific to each work. Please check it out.

next: Bokeh and Wildflowers