My reverence for the old masters induced me to follow in their footsteps by developing my own style as soon as the formative period of schooling was over. Conscious manipulation of surface textures and colours, I see as an aesthetic device rather than an attempt to recreate real effects of ageing. I used to loathe the practice of antiquing instruments. I couldn't however, deny the fact that when coated with a homogenous and even sheath of a single colour, the eye is not coaxed into a dance with different hues and spots, scratches and dents, which undeniably add another dimension to the experience. Old artefacts that carry the scars and vicissitudes of time, also tell a story. A story that reveals the touch of hundreds or thousands of people through the ages. A secret that I learned, is that even if this effect is artificially manipulated, and the observer is completely aware of the illusion, the effect retains its magic. And magic it is. Similarly, a theatre set, ludicrously sparse and primitive, does not detract from the audiences' total immersion in the act. The mind allows itself to be fooled in return for a certain gratification.
In recent years I have indulged in playful experimentation with the aim of producing new forms of instruments that have something in common with the architecture and art of the 21st century.
The catalyst for these experiments was an increasing interest in the recent developments of the acoustics of stringed instruments, which I believe will transform violin making in the next decades.
