It is a natural occurrence for music to go hand in hand with making art.  Brooklynites Rebecca Paul and Mikal Hameed have taken their love for the medium one step further by making it the focal point of their latest collaboration, ReBaroque.
As the name suggests, the finished product is a marriage of a classic baroque frame in an unconventional color, one of a kind fabric, discarded pieces of wood, and speakers.  The result? Sound Panels, an utterly modern concept made possible by pieces of the past. 
“Our sound panels are the result of our combined knowledge of fine art, music, technology and sustainable design. Our goal was to produce a product that allows you to use your smart device to interact with the space you live in and redefine how we think about music and our homes.”

The artists are a shining example of sustainability.  Each sound panel is made possible by materials that Hameed and Paul call “upcycled”.  They use vintage baroque frames, found pieces of wood, remnants of fabric, and found/discarded speakers (although, each piece does consist of one brand new speaker to ensure quality in sound).  Going one step further in the “They did WHAT?” department, each sound panel has a cable that can hook up to your sound system or computer, as well as installed docks, which means they are iPod, iPhone and Blackberry (and Bluetooth) ready.

Music has played an integral part in Hameed’s life and work.  Raised by two jazz musicians, connecting people through music is in his blood.  Hameed’s instruments are his hands.  Using his talent for building and creating, Hameed was widely recognized last year for a project where he would turn damaged and discarded chairs and sofas into full on sound systems.  They were so captivating in fact, they caught Yatzer’s eye and Costas Voyatzis chose to cover Hameed’s “Eames Hotrod Boombox” chair on Yatzer one year ago when he was invited as a guest-curator for the BEHANCE Network.

It was through the chair project Hameed started collaborating with Rebecca Paul, a writer who came to interview him for a piece she was doing on the project. Also an artist in her own right (painter and installation artist), Paul was inspired by Hameed’s work and so began their artistic partnership.

As an extension of Hameed’s resourcefulness in the chair project, he and Rebecca thought about using found pieces to bring functional art into people’s homes.  Their goal?  How could they combine everything that they love, make it both affordable and accessible to the average person, and make it beautiful?  Rebecca Paul talks about the thought process that eventually got them to the ReBaroque Sound Panels; “We wanted to take this concept and turn it into something that was accessible to more people outside of the gallery setting. With Mikal's experience working with electronics and carpentry and my training and knowledge of paint and mixing colors, we were able to produce this work that is both beautiful and functional.”

Beautiful and functional they certainly are.  ReBaroque is taking us in an exciting new direction when it comes to art in the home.