Ian Schneller made his first guitar about eight years ago in a logical pairing of his abilities as a sculptor and a musician. He had come to Chicago from Memphis to attend graduate school at the Art Institute, and was a founding member of the band Shrimp Boat. He now fronts the group Falstaff.
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After graduate school, Schneller showed his sculptures–playful constructions of rockets, optical toys, and clocks–at art galleries. “The way I was building things seemed to overly camouflage what the objects were about to the people who were looking at them,” he recalls. “As actual crafting of objects fell out of favor in light of the postmodern art movement, it just seemed like an unwanted presence, so I dropped out.”
“There’s still a tremendous amount of room for creativity and innovation,” he says, noting that he rarely makes the same guitar twice even though he has to follow the standard guidelines. “That’s what seemed to be lacking in the art world. There were no staples, there was no classic repertoire. As undisciplined as I am, I think I was yearning for some sense of discipline.”
Art accompanying story in printed newspaper (not available in this archive): photo/Randy Tunnell.
