Páll of Húsafell, an Icelandic artist best known for his stone harp used by indie rock band Sigur Rós, has now added another peculiarity to his collection: a rhubarb organ.
Páll of Húsafell, a.k.a. Páll Gudmundsson, has made a name for himself in the Icelandic art community for his sculptures and paintings. RÚV reports.
Gudmundsson is best known for a stone harp he created, which Icelandic rock sensation Sigur Rós has used in some of its concerts. Now Gudmundsson has created a new musical instrument that is one of its kind; an organ made of plants.
Rhubarb has hardly been used as a musical instrument before. Gudmundsson dries the rhubarb sticks before he cuts them into pieces, sized to fit an organ. The artist told RÚV that he finds it challenging to use materials no one else has thought of before.
The rhubarb, with pink juicy sticks and triangular leafs, is one of few edible plants that grow easily in the Icelandic climate. It is used for jam, soup, porridge and pie and has been a vital source of vitamin C for Icelanders through the ages.
