Dr. Dominic and I have been intensely collaborating on Cupid's design. He is a well respected plastic surgeon with highly developed aesthetic sensibilities, as you would expect. When he wrote me a few days ago, he had just completed restructuring a patient's severely fractured skull.
Imagine the visualization skills it must require to predict not only the former shape of a skull, but also how the elastic — living — tissue will finally resolve upon healing. Makes what I do seem simple.
There is a significant amount of data in the concept sketch (below). Cupid is now more angular, a departure from the previous rounded form. As you can see, the lower surfaces of the instrument are designed to rest on the tops of both thighs — extension of a concept Goran and I discussed earlier this year — while maintaining an ergonomic neck angle. The reason for this is to accommodate a seated playing position for extended periods of time. As the musician transitions from a seated to a standing position, Cupid's body orientation will not deviate.
The rounded form version accomplishes much the same task, with the benefit of allowing variable repositioning of the neck angle by adjusting knee spread. But after spending significant time with the mock-up, Dr. Dominic discovered an optimal neck angle, based on personal preference. The sculptural aspects of the body are retained, as per the scale clay model.
Alongside my 'Tele is Dove (under construction) and a template for Cupid. The progression of ergonomic thinking is clearly visible. Evolution of a species.
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