Wood in Time
October 21, 2025
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Eiden Spilker ('24) is a recent Brown graduate and has stayed in Providence to continue working at the Brown Design Workshop. With his background in architecture, visual art, and woodworking, I thought he might be interested in seeing the piano.
Eiden has been working on his own art installation, which is on display from October 27 - December 12, 2025 at the Granoff Center. Titled Between Past and Future, the show features artworks that make use of wood from a historic elm that once lived on the Main Green.
We discovered that the elm tree was planted around the same time that the piano was built. The tree was at least 80 years old when it was cut down, and the piano is close to 100 years old from the time of its construction. While the tree has seen the passing of seasons from its outdoor home on the main green, the piano spent the majority of its life indoors. Only in the past couple years have they swapped spaces: the elm tree now lives in pieces in a Brown warehouse and in Eiden's sculptures, while the piano has made its way outside under the trees.
Days in place: 978
Weather: partly sunny, 66°F
Falling twigs, leaves, seeds, needles, and other debris decorate the piano.
The case continues to peel away from the body.
Broken strings look like twigs underneath the fallen leaves.
Eiden trys a few bass notes on the keyboard.
We discover a hidden note underneath the piano, probably from its previous life as a practice piano.
Un-laminating
Under the trees
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