George Downing
ARTIST STATEMENT
My work combines the classic forms and construction of the electric guitar with materials, textures, and visual themes reclaimed from various aspects of everyday life.
My inspiration comes from old buildings, tools and machinery, left to weather in the elements after years of service have left their own mark upon them, bearing witness to the lives of the people who built, used, or lived in them.
Though fully functional in their own right, these instruments tell stories even in silence, and pay homage to the roots of our great musical heritage.
BIO
Originally from Providence, Rhode Island, I have been living in rural middle Tennessee since 1996. I have been working with wood most of my life, and am largely self-taught, with no formal training. Most of my woodworking experience has been in cabinetry and furniture making. My interest in guitar building goes back to my teenage years, and after a long hiatus, I have returned to this, infusing it with ideas and techniques from my rustic furniture endeavors