LISA BARTLETT'S Flora and Fauna

Lisa Bartlett gives vintage and unplayable guitars a new life as one-of-a-kind works of art. Rather than letting them end up in a landfill, she transforms them through folk-art painting and imaginative three-dimensional assemblage.
The guitars Lisa Bartlett creates begin with instruments that have stories of their own: vintage guitars, well-loved guitars, and ones too damaged to play. Some are gifts; others she purchases. At Artlandish Gallery, Lisa turns them into fantastical works of art, painting folk-art designs or embellishing them with three-dimensional elements and objects Lisa has gathered, often pieces from the Victorian-era steam-engine period. Each piece preserves the character of a once-functional instrument while giving it a surprising new purpose—as art to enjoy for years to come. 
Lisa Bartlett’s art guitars have a bold, funky folk-art spirit, filled with vivid color, expressive characters, and playful storytelling. Some explore the musical legend of the crossroads—a place where a musician might meet the devil in exchange for extraordinary talent. In one guitar, musicians stand at a signpost marked with destinations like “Hell Ave.” and “Bottom,” while a devilish face looms above them. Others bring the story to life through a blues musician and the devil sharing the same guitar. Each piece turns an old instrument into a lively, imaginative tribute to music, myth, and the unexpected paths creativity can take.
Lisa Bartlett transforms vintage and unplayable guitars into richly layered assemblage art, embellishing them with carefully collected treasures—often Victorian- or steam-engine-era objects, along with pressed tin from old steamer trunks. Gears, metalwork, carved details, buttons, coins, and other found pieces are thoughtfully arranged to give each guitar its own character and story. These assemblages create a connection to the past, revealing the historical value and beauty in obsolete objects that might otherwise be overlooked or discarded. Each one-of-a-kind artwork brings together the instrument’s musical history and the stories held in its salvaged materials.