Plus Gallery will host one of the most rare and special evenings of the decade on Friday, September 24th, we urge you to mark your calendars now. Talent, it seems, for our featured artist Robin Schaefer, runs in the family. While Robin's career has proven strong in the local market and occasionally beyond, her brother Kagen has operated on an entirely different level. Kagen creates extraordinarily crafted, ingenious woodworks that engage intellectually as well as aesthetically. Kagen is world renowned in the circle of puzzle-art, a status that led to one of the most auspicious and bold contemporary film directors of our times to commission him over four years ago to create a unique desk that incorporates an expansive set of well-hidden surprises. Kagen recently completed the desk and had decided to host an intimate gathering for the Denver public to view and engage with the piece. We asked him if we could host that event so that his creation can be viewed within the context of his sisters exhibition. He agree, so we will be bringing the desk into the gallery for a one-night only viewing and celebration. The desk is not simple in any way, it also is a fully functioning musical instrument and Kagen will be demonstrating it's unique compositions that evening at select times.
Please join us on September 24th from 6pm to 9pm. Demonstrations will occur that evening at 6:30, 7:30, and 8:30pm. This is really an event not to be missed!
A little about Kagen Schaefer's work from the artist:
Building the box for others to think outside of.
I have been a full time artist for ten years. I design and produce all my work here in Denver. All of my work is a puzzle in some form, more specifically a puzzle box. A puzzle box is anything that requires a person to solve a puzzle in order to open the box. This can be anything from shifting the sides of the box in a sequence of moves, to finding a secret button, movement, or trick move.
I made my first puzzle table in 2006, as a commission for the Lilly Library at Indiana University which is now a permanent part of the collection. A puzzle table is like its counterpart box in that you must solve various puzzles to unlock the drawers of the table. Shortly after my first puzzle table made it's debut I was contacted by a film director to build a puzzle desk. His only requirement for this desk commission was that I be inspired.
4 1/2 years later...
The Pipe Organ Desk is a very special desk. The only one of it's kind. Should you push in a drawer it naturally displaces air, which is redirected through the desk to a functioning organ pipe. Eight drawers sound and octave of organ pipes in D major. Not only does the desk sound notes, it remembers the notes you play. Inside is a logic board, also powered by the air movement. This records your notes, and should anyone play the correct tune it will automatically reveal a secret drawer. The entire desk is made from solid wood, even the fastening screws and hardware was designed and constructed from wood in my studio. Words are hardly enough to express the feat of magic of this desk is, so I will be doing a demonstration on the opening night. I welcome all to see it in action! - Kagen Schaefer, 2011
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