Re: Mandolins as a work of art
Having had the recent pleasure to visit Tom and Pava's workshop in Austin, I can confidently answer YES. I would argue that wood selection, binding, and especially inlay work can elevate a musical instrument to the level of a living artwork. This is not to say that cheaper instruments are never art, but the creative process that goes into purely aesthetic considerations requires the same kind of process that sculpture, painting, photography, and other visual arts do.
1913 Gibson F2 (Blacktop)
2022 Big Muddy Mandola (M-16, Ziricote back and sides, Adirondack top)
2022 Kentucky KM-120 (Elevated fretboard conversion)
1940s Kay Banjolin
1930s Martin Style 0 Ukulele
1920s Vega Senator Plectrum Banjo (GDAE octave mando tuning)
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