Thursday, August 17, 2006

Downtown Pittsburgh Space and Wood Street

Pinch Hitters At Space



Edgar Um Bucholtz
Wendy Osher
David Stanger
Michael Oliveri At Wood Street





These are some shots I took of two downtown shows at Space Gallery, and then Wood Street. The Sci- Fi wonderland is Michael Oliveri's show at Wood Street. Which is still up. The Pinch Hitters show at Space is over. This was the best i could do with my camera and limited knowledge of how to use it.

From the Wood Street website.

ULTRAVIOLET ACQUIESCENCE AND DEEP SPACE DRIP CULTURE

Work by Michael Oliveri June 30 - September 2, 2006
Blinded by Science Michael Oliveri constructs bizarre pseudo scientific installations. Looking like they are destined for a movie set or Disney’s Epcot Center, Oliveri’s ‘fake’ installations playfully evoke notions of a ‘mad basement’ scientific enquiry. Hydroponic towers grow tomato plants from seeds that once traveled in outer space, cascading neon-green waterfalls and streams flow under black light, and videos of surfers riding an eternal cosmic wave play with hyper reality. Oliveri, who often begins his research online, loves the ‘myriad of competing and contradictory narratives that exit simultaneously on the Internet and form a separate discourse.” Oliveri recognizes that the Internet is the ultimate equalizer, at once making it impossible to distinguish between credible and dubious information, both grounded in and outside current scientific practice and theory. Humorously, from specific scientific observations about Fullerenes, Hydroponics, and Sonic Growth, Oliveri makes the point that innovation often occurs not as a result of structured research, but of accidental discoveries.
Opening Reception Friday, June 30, 5-10pm Gallery Talk with Michael Oliveri Saturday, July 1, 1pm Cultural District Gallery Crawl Friday, July 7, 5-9pm

The show is visually stunning and one feels very emersed in this world. I want to go back.

The Space show was I believe thrown in near the last minute and does seem to lack a cohesive thread that ties it together, but the general quality of the show was pretty high. These are just some shots and I feel that the show should not be judged by them. Kurt Shaw ripped this show apart in a way that I do not feel was justified. One major theme in his review was to point out how predictable the list of artist's shown at Space usually is.

Pinch Hitters

Works by owen smith, wes kline, corey antis, mario marzan, jeremy boyle TZR, keny marshall, jai sadeghi, sarika goulatia, bob beckman, heather white, mary tremonte, mariam stephan, david pohl, josh macphee, drew pavelchak, tom weinrich, tessa windt, philip von zweck, ryder henry, eric fleischauer, molly schafer, edgar bucholtz, thad kellstadt, elizabeth deasy, kate joranson, steve stelling, carin mincemoyer, gavin benjamin, alexis covato, James Osher, Wendy Osher, and david stanger.

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