Tha-wang - Rod Lathim

“Tha-wang!”

Repurposed sand-up bass, neon, welded base

69” T x 22” W x 22” D

This work is a collaboration with artist Clark James. A whimsical look at the beauty, magic and peril of music. 

“Tha-wang!” celebrates the glorious unpredictability of music — that electric instant where discipline meets spontaneity, and creation tips into chaos.

Built upon an acoustic bass painted black with crisp white edges, the sculpture stands in striking contrast, its luminous strings bringing the instrument to life. Four lines of white neon glass dance above the ebony neck — three pulsing in fluid waves that capture the deep resonance and physical vibration of sound. The fourth string, broken, arcs into wild spirals, embodying the freedom and humor found in imperfection.

Here, the moment of rupture becomes revelation — the bass, no longer silent, hums with luminous energy. “Tha-wang!” is an ode to majesty, melody, and mayhem — a reminder that in art, as in music, beauty often arrives through the unexpected note, the crack in control, the joyous sound of things coming brilliantly undone.