Pianos don’t have to be black (or even brown). With so much doom and gloom around, why not brighten things up? Here are two concepts that bring some sunshine to the world of pianos.
Tricia Paoluccio is an artist. Her specialty… pressed flowers. She learnt the skill as a child and has continued to perfect the craft ever since. Her company, Modern Pressed Flower produces exceptionally fine floral art prints. She co-designed the “Floral Folklore” dress worn by Taylor Swift at this year’s Grammys.
Back in March 2020 Paoluccio travelled to Northern California to collect thousands of wildflowers and botanical specimens. By meticulously arranging these plants, she created a new series of beautiful floral artworks.
In January 2021 an exhibition showcasing the results of her previous year’s work opened at the High Line Nine Gallery in New York. Taking centre stage was a Steinway grand piano wrapped in one of her elaborate floral collages.
The above time-lapse video shows how the piano was “dressed” by a team from NVS Visuals. Paoluccio’s design was transferred to sheets of high gloss vinyl using a large format printer. These pieces were then trimmed to fit and “wrapped” around the piano. Separate floral elements were overlaid to covered any conspicuous joins.
It should be stressed that Paoluccio’s piano isn’t an official Steinway Art Case product. You can’t buy one directly from the company. However, this bright joyous piano can currently be seen in the window of the Steinway Hall showroom at 1133 6th Avenue, New York.
And if you would like your piano wrapped in one of Paoluccio’s designs, do visit her website modernpressedflower.com for more information.
Steinway Pops Collection
Steinway itself has also been doing its bit to brighten up the (piano) world. The Steinway Pops Collection is a revamp of the existing Color Collection which was originally launched back in 2016. This gave customers the option to choose the finish of their new Steinway (any model) from a range of vibrant and exciting colours.
Now, this spring, Steinway is actively promoting the new Steinway Pops Collection which adds a wider spectrum of RAL colours to the range. Two-colour combinations are also offered with the option to have the stick, lid, nameboard, and music desk, supplied in a contrasting/complementary colour.
Prices for a Pops Collection piano are typically 10-15% up on the base model. Contact your local Steinway dealer for more information.
Light and Shade
At the end of the day, it is the musicality of the piano itself that really matters, not whether it is a specific shade of cerise, or whether it looks like it should be kept in a greenhouse. But as long as these accoutrements don’t alter the tonal characteristics of the instrument, such visual statements should be applauded. A little sunshine never hurt, especially now.