From NYC Storefronts to Lichty Guitar’s Workbench – the Magic of Randy Hage’s Art
One of the greatest blessings from Lichty Guitars has been the countless talented and interesting folks we have gotten to know. Case in point – Randy Hage.
Jay and Randy have cooked up a lovely custom instrument project that Jay has been busily working away on in the shop. A few days ago a truly surprising package from Randy arrived at our door. Working from some of our shop photographs Randy has created an EXACT replica of Jay’s luthier workbench. You can see from the image gallery below just what I mean. It is crazy accurate and so so cool!
We are so grateful to Randy for sharing such an unusual and special gift!
More of the story …
And, since Randy’s story is so intriguing, we’d like to share a bit of the backstory. We hope you enjoy!
Randy is a multi-talented artist who has been creating sets, models, and props for the TV/Film and small scale hobby industries for over 25 years. He is a former instructor at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles, where he taught set and prop fabrication. Randy also seems to be a passionate historian and photographer. In the late 90’s he began photographing the storefronts in the SoHo area of New York, capturing the essence of the Mom & Pop establishments with their hand painted signs, aging structures and intriguing histories. Inspired to celebrate these iconic structures, Randy began creating sculptures of NYC storefronts, in miniature, and to exacting detail. Over time his documentary project has become a time capsule of sorts. More than 60% of the over 450 shops Randy has photographed have closed or have been torn down, falling victim to large scale development.
Randy’s work not only seeks to preserve a vision of the past, but also to call attention to the loss of established and diverse neighborhoods as urban renewal and gentrification displace the store owners and the area residents who make up the tapestry of these communities. His storefront project reflects a love for these iconic structures, as well as a passionate interest in the communities that they serve. His sculptures represent more than fading facades, they honor the very soul of the city and its people. Learn more about Randy at the links below …