Trimpin's Excellent Bon Voyage

“Inspiration exists, but you have to be working…”
     —Pablo Picasso, 20^th Century

From my Tieton loft east window, I can see “sound artiste” Trimpin’s home and studio— where the work lights burn brightly every day until midnight, 7 days a week, and most likely 365 days a year—as he creates unique sculptures and computer driven, kinetic “contraptions” (his term!) that stretch the boundaries of conventional artistic creation into completely new territory.

Trimpin’s work ethic clearly fulfills all of Picasso’s inspirational requirements outlined above.

On Friday morning, September 20, at 8:30 a.m., a small group of coffee-fueled, local Tieton friends gathered near a bright yellow Penske transport truck (stuffed to its seams with unique musical inventions) to wish Bon Voyage to Trimpin and his robotic-savvy assistant Troy Rogers. And after a few more sips of coffee and cheers from friends, they drove out of Tieton to transport Trimpin’s latest creative installation to the annual Other Minds festival of new and experimental music in San Francisco:

As the informal Tieton “Art Nun” whose monthly posts are published here on this journal, I was proud to preside at the Bon Voyage send-off ceremony, wearing my beloved, Ross Dress for Less, gold-thread-embellished, Art Nun-approved, $3 “vestment” scarf. I clanged my Tibetan ritual chimes near the Penske truck and surrounded our San Francisco-bound pilgrims with impromptu benedictions and ritual sage smudges:

Additional heartfelt encouragements and accolades from the intimate audience combined to prepare the pilgrims for their journey, and after a final snippet of inspirational oratory (delivered in German by Trimpin himself), the yellow Penske transport truck headed off from Tieton to parts south, filled with eccentric, music-making treasures.

Although Trimpin’s professional resume includes a MacArthur Foundation “genius” grant, a Guggenheim Fellowship, a documentary film, a book about his work, and an in-depth interview featured in the New Yorker magazine, his work ethic reflects a remarkable sense of humility and almost childlike wonder that overrides any intrusion of artificial, haughty superiority. He allows his creations to do the talking.

One of Trimpin’s most beloved and well-known works, titled “If VI Was IX: Roots and Branches,” is perennially available for viewing inside the (now renamed) “Museum of Pop Culture” building at the Seattle Center.

Originally known as the “Experience Music Project,” the Museum’s abstract, Frank Geary-designed structure is as eccentric and revelatory as the installations inside, which document the history and evolution of pop music from its beginning. Geary’s architectural creation is meant to suggest a “smashed guitar,” that honors Jimi Hendrix, one of Seattle's most revered musical heroes.

Seattle magazine described Trimpin’s kinetic installation “If VI Was IX: Roots and Branches,” as “a towering tornado of self-playing guitars.” And according to the interview about this work that later appeared in the New Yorker magazine, when Trimpin pitched his genius-worthy concept of a “guitar tower” that would play music activated by computers, one of the decision makers on the selection committee asked how all the guitars would stay in tune with one another. After a moment of silent quick thinking, Trimpin declared that “they will tune themselves”— and then had to figure out how to code this feat of computer magic into reality.

He was successful!

On Saturday mornings here in Tieton, well-known art evangelist and City Council member Ed Marquand leads a guided tour of artist spaces, which normally includes access to a warehouse room filled with a glorious collection of Trimpin’s kinetic contraptions. But since many of the smaller warehouse installations were whisked off to San Francisco in the yellow Penske truck together with his latest project—an electrified, possibly “Low Rider”-inspired, computer-altered piano—it will take some time for Trimpin to reconfigure his warehouse display with his new work when he arrives back in Tieton.

Meanwhile, here is a sneak photo preview of Trimpin’s performance installation in San Francisco:

You never know when Trimpin will suddenly unleash an impromptu, pop-up “experience” that makes life in this tiny town even more colorful and fun. Here at the grand opening of Shorthead Brewery in Tieton, local “polkaholics” Sandra Dean and David Bilides kick off a dance party inspired by Trimpin playing his latest (German-polka-themed) mobile musical contraption:

For the latest information about upcoming events in Tieton, sign up to receive Ed Marquand's email newsletter or visit the Mighty Tieton Events web page.

You’re always welcome to join the festivities.

Sandra Dean, Visual Artist
Tieton, Washington USA