Hohmann Art Gallery
By: Jimmy Steinfeldt
Photos: Jimmy Steinfeldt
Palm Springs, CA (The Hollywood Times) 2/12/23 – I attended a wonderful art exhibit Friday night in Palm Springs. German artist/luthier Jens Ritter has built handmade guitars including his Sleeping Beauties collection. Jens is the only Master Luthier alive who’s electric guitars are collected by the 3 major U.S. art museums (The MET, the Smithsonian, and the Boston Museum.) His guitars have been recognized by musicians including Prince, Lady Gaga, George Benson, Mary J. Blige, and many others.
I interviewed Jens about his handmade guitar-art. His reason for creating the Sleeping Beauties is wonderful. His creative process is equally engaging.
Jimmy Steinfeldt: Tell me about your guitars and especially about your Sleeping Beauties collection.
Jens Ritter: The exhibit includes both my Electric Masterpieces and the special collection of ten guitars that I call Sleeping Beauties. I have sealed off the guitar-jack where the electric guitar cable would plug in. You cannot unseal the guitar-jack for the next 100 years.
This art project was initiated when I watched a talk about Artificial Intelligence and how AI can make music without a human being. I found this shocking and was concerned that the great music that has been created over the last 80 years with the electric guitar could someday disappear. I want to preserve the process of humans creating music with electric guitars. I want to send handmade music into the future.
I like knowing that 100 years from now the grand-children and great grand-children of the people who buy these ten Sleeping Beauties will unseal the guitar-jack and be able to create new music with the electric guitar.
The amazing exhibit of Jens’ Masterpiece guitars and his ten Sleeping Beauties can be seen at the Hohmann Art Gallery. Be sure to check out the red dot on the description plaque which denotes the Sleep Beauties which have already been sold (oh those lucky great grandchildren!)
The exhibit runs for at least another 30 days.
https://ritter-instruments.com/sleeping-beauties.php
