Review OF Swoon Show

By the way there was finally a well written and insightfull review of the Swoon show in the City Paper. From what I can see, that was about it in terms of coverage here.

"Stain and Swoon, derive their inspiration, and in which they define their creative practices. Put simply, they see the outside world of pedestrians and walls as a more potent display space for their ideas than the comparatively sterile pretenses of art patrons and the white cube. Swoon, in an interview with The New York Times, once said that outdoor display avoids the "quiet, boring preciousness" of the gallery world."

You can see very clearly in the show how much all three artists valued and loved the tragically sacred setting of Braddock.

Gestures @ The Mattress Factory : images 1

Shawn Quinlan
Shawn Quinlan
Shawn Quinlan
Adam Grossi
Adam Grossi
Adam Grossi
Laura Jean McLaughlin
Laura Jean McLaughlin

Here are one of several posts with images of the Gestures show that just closed. The show was stronger than even I had suspected in terms of the work, but it did unfortunately confirm the fears that I wrote about in a previous post. Several of the pieces suffered from conflicting placement, the most glaring being Kate Temple's meditative instalation being put in the room next to Thad Kellstadt's media pop work.

All will be forgiven-- If this does not end up as these artist's sole apearance at The Mattress Factory.

Review Of The Keny Marshall Show @ Space

Adam Grossi has a review of the Keny Marshall show that both me and Merge love @ Space, downtown. It was originally printed in the City Paper and is now on the Pittsburgh Art Review website.

"This level of access into ordinarily inaccessible technology is a driving force for Marshall’s work, an aesthetic of transparency he shares with contemporary DIY technicians like L.A.- based artist Tim Hawkinson. Marshall is motivated, to quote his artist’s statement, by a critique of the “increasingly invisible world that technology inhabits.” For Marshall, the unveiling of high-tech mechanisms also provides insight into their ideological constructions: the framework of thought that propels their creation. In a world hell-bent on microchips, nanotechnology and deceptively smooth plastic shells to conceal it all, Marshall’s approach is a playful protest against our rarely questioned immersion in man-made environments we can’t attempt to understand."

Read the whole review here. The web site is trying very hard to get more contributors.

Apophenia continues through December 31st at SPACE Gallery , 812 Liberty Ave., Downtown. 412-325-7723

Pittsburgh Art Review

I can't fully explain why, but there are constant and very promising signs that Pittsburgh may be trying to break it's self imposed exile from the world that has so frustrated me. Projects and studies seem to come and go but the faint sound of cracking is there. People are talking about linking websites, adding more info and pictures online and now there is an attempt to have a Pittsburgh Art Review website and arts forum.

Adam Grossi, who has been a major force behind this, sees this as a work in progress and the site will be gradually be upgraded. One of the core issues behind the project has not been solved and exposes the conected nature of the problem. Without images or at least links to them, the value of the reviews and the level of discussion will be pretty limited. Hopefully the very existence of this review will spur people to put more images online, build and improve websites, add maps etc... There is something amazingly revealing about the online world. Fault lines, racial and class divisions and plain snobbery are exposed to all.

From the website:


Welcome To PAR!

Pittsburgh Art Review is an open forum for reviews and criticism of art exhibitions in the city of Pittsburgh. We seek to further the image of Pittsburgh as an arts city by providing a hub for both arts professionals and the public at large to voice what interests, puzzles, inspires, and troubles them. No matter your background, we encourage you to create a Profile and share your opinion.

Adam Grossi & Warren Craghead in Virginia

Warren Craghead and Adam Grossi
Adam Grossi Warren Craghead

The artist/blogger, JT Kirkland, posted these really nice shots from Adam Grossi's opening in Reston Virginia. A really hope that he doesn't mind me copping them off his blog. Adam, lives in Pittsburgh and has shown in my gallery, so I have seen a lot of this work in person. Warren Craighead, is an artist who I think a lot of people may know from his visually exiting blog.

Adam Grossi: The Suburban Excavation Project

Digging Pitt Gallery encourages you to take a peek at Adam Grossi's exhibit at GRACE. Adam is included in our flat files and, along with Josh Tonies, produced a fabulous showcase of collaborative works.

Adam Grossi: The Suburban Excavation Project
September 28 — October 29, 2006
Greater Reston Arts Center Gallery
12001 Market Street, Suite 103
Reston, VA 20190

Adam Grossi begins his work at the intersection of utopian ideals and the American cultural mainstream. Drawing from architecture, advertisements, maps, and illustrations the artist uses paint, collage, and installation to chronicle his travels within the middle class suburbs. A Reston native, Grossi has a long history growing up in a planned community which he develops into imaginary narratives he calls, "welcome mats at the doors to stranger's homes." From the GRACE Website

"This is a solo show, nestled deep within the heart of my very own hometown -- a place that has often served as my primary source of image-making inspiration for about three years. Reston is one of the country’s first and foremost planned residential communities, making it kind of like the town in “The Truman Show,” except for the fact that no one is acting. It is a fascinating place; driven by utopian development ideals and intricate planning, and yet, also susceptible to the same mainstream cultural dilemmas that challenge the rest of the country’s suburban landscape. The paintings I am presenting here are products of my fascination with this tangled intersection of idealism and conventions. Roughly twenty images have made it into the show; additionally, the gallery staff has been generous enough to allow me to supplement my work with some painting and drawing directly on the walls… so I’ve created a temporary landscape of my own." Adam Grossi - Artist Statement

offsite shows by gallery artists

Here are two Downtown Shows that include gallery artists. I want to apologize but from what I could see, niether gallery put any images of the shows online. I hope that no one is mad at me for trying to break the self imposed bubble that Pittsburgher's seem to love.

One show I have not seen yet, which is not something I should be forgiven for. Chances are very high that it's damn good.

Artists Upstairs June 2nd--July 14 . Haven't seen, but it includes two pretty amazing local artists in my files. Alexandra Etschmaier and Anna Divinsky. Alex has a large instalation in the show.

Three Rivers Arts Festival Gallery This claimed to show "The Best of Pittsburgh" and they will take some crap for that. But, It is a strong show. It includes file artists-- Adam Grossi, Fabrizio Gerbino, Chris Craychee, Josh Tonies and Anna Divinsky. Brett Yasko makes a pretty awsome statement using the gallery windows.