Somebody, Anybody… Everybody: the last hurrah

I went to the closing reception for Somebody, Anybody… Everybody last Friday at ModernFormations. Both of the artists, David Grim and Mark Panza, were there. What a lovely evening! I'm so glad I had a chance to go, since I wasn't able to attend the opening reception.

The atmosphere was very relaxed, with a manageable group sitting around talking about the things artists talk about: art they've seen, art they're making, art business, and technique. There was room to really see the work. Everybody took advantage of the artists to ask for detailed answers about specific works, something that can be difficult during opening receptions.

Thanks, ModernFormations, for hosting these awesome events.

Somebody, Anybody… Everybody

Grim and Panza at Modernformations

I am so glad that Modernformations has a closing reception for Somebody, Anybody… Everybody. I was unable to attend the opening, and have been pretty occupied this month. The work is documented on Modernformation's site, so I am anticipating a really smashing exhibit.

David Grim

Both of the artists in the exhibit attend drop-in model sessions in the Pittsburgh area. David Grim is continuing with his work on telephone book pages, but has moved into full color, a real change from his previous works of black marker in his Book of Life series.

Mark Panza

Mark Panza's work for the exhibit is manipulated digital prints and light sculptures. The examples on Modernformation's site look pretty fantastic. Mr. Panza's work is also figure based. Presented together, the exhibit explores the contemporary paths that are pursued by artists that continue the formal aesthetics of figure based work.

So, with much anticipation, I am looking forward to attending the closing reception.

Closing reception
Friday June 21: 6-8PM

Somebody, Anybody… Everybody
New work by David Grim and Mark Panza
Modern Formations
Runs to June 26th
Thursdays 7pm - 9pm
Saturdays 1pm - 4pm
Private appointments are available by request
4919 Penn Avenue. Pittsburgh PA 15224. 412.362.0274

Play @Panza

I loved Tim Fabian's statement about his curatorial intentions for the Play exhibit:

"In one way or another each of the people in this show evidence play in their work. I think of this show as my loose group of playmates."

His caliber of playmates is extraordinary. There is a lot of good work in the Play exhibit, and some artists used this opportunity to step out and present work that is new and exploratory.

Bill Wade at Panza

Bill Wade had several abstract pieces, focused on vibrant color and pure shape. The works are created on photographic paper, using objects and light. Although Mr. Wade is best known for his documentary style of work, it is obvious that these works are something that he has been exploring for awhile.

Jean McClung

Oh now, this was just a wonderful piece. Ms. McClung has been blending transparencies and light into small sculptures for several years. This permutation of the idea is wonderfully freash, and does embody the concept of play quite well. FYI, Jean McClung is in an upcoming exhibit in April at ModernFormations.

David Grim

Okay, so this was like striptease meets art. David Grim's work usually draws a lot from distorted images and surreal concepts. For Play, Mr. Grim covered his work with small photos. The artist was selling each of these small photos for one thin sawbuck, gradually unveiling the work that was actually what he was presenting. When I was at the opening, the above was all that you could see of the collage underneath. Here's the final reveal.

George Kollar

The works presented by George Kollar were so very expressive. At first glance, I assumed that they were traditional drawing materials. But these works were created directly on photographic paper. The non-traditional format made the works even more compelling. Photographic paper, worked with the chemicals used in darkroom work lend the pieces some interesting qualities.

The exhibit is up through February 16 and is well worth the trip over to Millvale. While you're there, stop by Pamela's Diner, right around the corner from Panza. If it's good enough for our First Lady... Honestly, it's great diner food.

Play
Jan. 19, to Feb. 16, 2013.
Panza's image album
Panza Gallery
412.821.0959
panzagallery@mac.com
www.panzagallery.com

gallery hours:
wd.thur.fri 10-5
& sat 10-3

What I'm doing this weekend

It's so nice when the universe aligns and so many good things happen at one time. Granted, there are plenty of weekends, weekdays and holidays when good things happen. Universal alignment is when they are all happening in proximity to where I live.

Play promises to be a really great show, because I am pretty familiar with most of the artists. Since it's also curated by Tim Fabian, I am more than sure the exhibit will be a good one. The list of artists, in case you are curious:

Sue Abramson, Ruth Drescher, David Grim, Tom Gigliotti, George Kollar, Jean McClung, Mark Panza, Michael Sahaida, William D. Wade

Now, isn't your curiosity piqued?

Please please try to make it to Fe for Words for Poems. I am familiar with Laurie Trok's work and it is exceptional. But the show has a VERY short run and will be gone before you know it. If you happen to be in Larryville during Fe's extended hours for the show, venture down to Espresso A Mano. It's just a few blocks away from Fe, serves great coffee, and currently is hosting David Grim's work on it's walls.
David Grim: Looking @U
More information about this show
Espresso A Mano
3623 Butler St

Play, opening January 19, 2013
More information about this exhibit
Panza Gallery
115 Sedgwick Street
Millvale Pa 15209

Words for Poems, opening January 19 2013 at Fe Gallery
More info about this exhibit
FeGALLERY | 4012 Butler Street, Pittsburgh PA 15201 | 412-254-4038
Thu - Fri: 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Sat: 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Sun: 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm
www.fegallery.org

Returns @Panza Gallery

David Grim

Millvale is just across the Allegheny River from my home. On a nice day, I can walk over there in less than twenty minutes. But with all of the construction on Route 28, I haven't ventured across on foot for awhile. It's a difficult proposition for us habitual pedestrians, and the new intersections have made it much more daunting.

It's completely my loss, though. There's a fabulous gallery over there that I hardly ever get to because I always seem to be able to come up with some excuse for not walking across the bridge. Lucky for me, a very good friend provided transportation to the opening of Returns at Panza Gallery this past weekend. I'm so glad she did, it was a strong show.

Pictured above is some recent work by David Grim. I love the color in these works, as well as the abstracted qualities. More of David Grim's work can be seen in this online portfolio.
 

 

Olga Brindar

One entire side of the gallery was installed with these large works on paper by artist Olga Brindar. The works had a nice vitality to them. Ms. Brindar has a very nice portfolio site, where you can view more of her work.

 

Mia Tarducci Henry

There were a scant handful of paintings by Mia Tarducci Henry, which were really beautiful. The works are very organic and heavily textured. You can get to know Ms. Henry better on her site.

A meditation on drawings made by David Grim

A meditation on drawings made by David Grim. His show recently closed at Panza Gallery.



Ink drawings of people, maps of human bodies, made on phone book pages.

Image of the person, the picture made by looking at them, drawing in lines over lines of information about people, lists of numbers that allow us to reach out and make contact with a person.

White pages, lists of people, people with numbers next to their names. Index of human beings reduced to ten digits by which they can be reached. Connectivity.

A portrait of a person drawn over a list of people. An individual as a collection of people.

Knowing a person by seeing them. Knowing a person by reading information about them. Knowing a person through the metadata attached to that person. Phone number as tag.

Knowing some one on sight. Knowing some thing about some one. A piece of information is intimacy. Nudity is intimacy. Hearing a voice on the telephone is intimacy.

Drawings are seen. The numbers are seen. The numbers imply voices. Figures on a ground of numbers. The numbers imply connectivity. The numbers imply communication.

Art as the mediating object between bodies, carrying information in a container more dense than words.

Crown of Appalachia/Book of Life @ Panza Gallery

The Crown of Appalachia/Book of Life exhibit opened at Panza Gallery a couple weeks ago. I was pleased to attend the opening reception on July 3; a great addition to the holiday weekend. The exhibit is a solo presentation of two bodies of work from David Grim. The work is beautifully installed, giving both paths of exploration sufficient space. The one consistency between both bodies is their reference to journaling.

David Grim has been working on his Book of Life for the last few years. He has been carrying the same phone book to various life drawing sessions, recording the human figure on its pages with his pen. For this exhibit, the works from the phone book were scanned and printed out and mounted in one large installation. Some of the original works from a related series were framed and another two were presented as light pieces. Mr. Grim worked on this series with a very stringent set of parameters, using only pen and drawing only in the phone book. All of the drawings in the book of life are line drawings, forcing an exploration of the various expressive qualities of line. It is a compelling journey.

Crown of Appalachia is Mr. Grim's alter, Merge Divide. The blog was begun in January 2010. Each post is accompanied by an image, reflective of events and places in the Pittsburgh region. The images range from narrative to abstract, but maintain a consistency of color and value.

Artist Statements:

David Grim-
Inspired by a childhood escape from religious conversion, The Book of Life presents the opportunity for me to reclaim the act of creation from an externalized “other”. Based on the concept of a holy tome containing the names of all those saved from eternal damnation, this project seeks to render humanity in its purest of form- defenseless and open. The intention of the displayed product is to raise questions regarding authority, transience, privacy, and the relationship between the artist and his subject.

Merge Divide-
Convinced that Pittsburgh is the figurative “Crown” of a vast tract of America marked by the Appalachians, I decided to commemorate my travels throughout the region with an online presence, including words and images. This marks my initial foray into the sense of a partially imaginary place that may indeed exist. I mean to convey the weird netherworld quality of this area in sociological and alchemical terms.

Crown of Appalachia/Book of Life
Through July 31, 2010
Saturday July 31- Closing Party (6-9PM)
Panza Gallery
115 Sedgwick Street in Millvale, PA.
412.821.0959
Hours: Wed.Thurs.Fri.10-5 Sat10-3

Image borrowed from Kamau

Opening July 3rd Saturday at Panza Gallery, Merge Divide and David Grim

Our own Merge Divide is having an exhibit at Panza Gallery.....Merge Divide "Images from Crown of Appalachia", along with David Grim, "Book of Life". 6-9p.m. for the opening reception. Having seen some of the work, I know this exhibit will be very, very good. For images and more details go to Pittsburgh Art Blog:
http://pittsburghgalleries.blogspot.com/2010/07/david-grims-book-of-life-art-exhibit.html

Closing reception for Lush Life, Visual Abstraction and Regenesis

The Pittsburgh Tribune Review has listed the closing in their top picks for the weekend. Check it out here.

Closing reception for Lush Life, Visual Abstraction and Regenesis
April 7, 6-9PM

Lush Life - Side I --more information
Paul LeRoy
Todd Pinkham
Jessica Sommer
Katherine Young


Visual Grammar: Five Approaches to Abstraction-- more information
Curated by Gary Jurysta
Charles Andresen
Glen Brunken
Joren Dykstra
Patrick Schmidt

Regenesis: David Grim @Digging Pitt Too-- more information
David Grim

Now Showing at Digging Pitt and Digging Pitt Too

We took a few moments on Wednesday to shoot some installtion images from the current exhibits. There are more installation and reception images on diggingpitt.com as well as artist statements and images from the flat-files.

We'll be posting notices about upcoming events at both Digging Pitt and Digging Pitt Too. Email us, and we'll put on the update list.

Lush Life -- Side I

Paul LeRoy
Todd Pinkham
Jessica Sommer
Katherine Young

Katherine Young
Paul LeRoy
Jessica Sommer
Todd Pinkham

Visual Grammar:
Five Approaches to Abstraction (Side II)

Curated by Gary Jurysta
Charles Andresen
Glen Brunken
Joren Dykstra
Patrick Schmidt
Joren Dykstra
Gary Jurysta

Patrick Schmidt
Charles Andresen
Glen Brunken



Regenesis @Digging Pitt Too
David Grim

Opening reception at Digging Pitt and Digging Pitt Too

Last weekend was a very busy one for Digging Pitt Gallery and Digging Pitt Too. Three exhibits opened the same night. Thanks, Pittsburgh, for braving the cold on Saturday to celebrate the work and the artists included in the exhibits.

If you couldn't make it to the opening, all of the exhibits will be in place until April 7, 2007. And stay tunes for special events at the gallery, like the artist talk on February 22.

Lush Life -- Side I

Paul LeRoy
Todd Pinkham
Jessica Sommer
Katherine Young

Jessica Sommer and Paul LeRoy

Visual Grammar:
Five Approaches to Abstraction (Side II)

Curated by Gary Jurysta
Charles Andresen
Glen Brunken
Joren Dykstra
Patrick Schmidt

Patrick Schmidt, Charles Andesen, Gary Jurysta, Glen Brunken and Joren Dykstra


Regenesis@Digging Pitt Too
David Grim
David Grim

Opening reception for Regenesis

Regenesis
@Digging Pitt Too
February 10 through April 7, 2007.
Opening reception: February 10 from 6-9pm
Closing reception: April 7 from 6-9pm.

Digging Pitt Too will be presenting Regenesis, a solo exhibit of work by artist David Grim, in February. David Grim explores abstract imagery with the eye of the camera, developing patterns that reverberate across fields of muted greys. -- more information

David Grim in Brooklyn and Chelsea

So David is now on his way back and leaving a trail of hostility behind him. Here are some of his musings on his trip. He did make it in to see the new space of D'Amelio Terras ,only to mispell the gallery name in his review ( like they don't have enough reason to be mad at me ) and then rolled around to see the Lifestyles of the Rich and Obnoxious galleries on my little list. I believe that DT , just rushed under the wire to beat a bunch of galleries in the renovation boom there. He loved the show at Mixed Greens and I told him to ask to see a friend's work they had there. He just missed the Foxy show of Jessica Ciocci of Paper Rad fame. Ed is also apparently blogging in peace these days. Well the party rolls on I guess and as to the people frosting the glass trying to get into this glass world, well who knows what will happen to them.

He also has ome other impressions so I'll give him the floor. Musings on Chelsea. Musings on Brooklyn.

In the interest of driving search traffic, Here are the galleries he mentions; Clementine, Plus Ultra, Derek Eller, Gagosian, D'Amelio Terras, Mixed Greens and others I am sure.

My artist talk this Saturday, 7PM

Ok... so if you are masochistic enough to read the meanderings of "the guy" who runs this site, you are aware that I am giving an "artist's talk" on Saturday. This will be for the closing of the Carnivalesque: A Grim Guignol show. I've expressed my trepidation on another forum, and I'm not going to rehash it here. Suffice it to say that if you come I will be happy... because then, no matter what I say, the purpose of the talk will have been fulfilled.

Anyway... I plan on encouraging questions and I want to address two of the most common so far.

Q: What the hell is "Guignol"?

First of all it's pronounced "geen-yole". Second of all, don't you people have the internet? Never mind. Stupid question. I proceed.

The abbreviated version: There was a French dentist who wanted to ease people's fears of him, so he created a puppet in his likeness (named "Guignol") to tell funny stories and defang his trade. It worked, and it became so popular that it inspired copycat puppet shows. These productions eventually incorporated social commentary that led the King to outlaw puppet shows altogether.

In 1897, a French shock theater opened, and took as its moniker, Le Théâtre du Grand-Guignol. This theater operated until the 1960's, becoming widely renowned for its cringe-inducing fare. If you have ever before heard or read the word "guignol", it was probably inspired by the theater. It's a word that comes up a lot in film reviews, particularly related to directors such as David Lynch, David Cronenberg, John Waters, and Fellini.

What does that all have to do with my sense of the carnival, or the arts? Come to the talk and ask that question to my face...

Q: Where did I take my photos?

I took some of them on the pier in Ocean City, MD last year. It seemed to be one of the few places that I could recapture the sense of the old-time carnival. Most amusements are now homogenized, so that even the dullest parent will remain unoffended in their presence. If you have ever been to Ocean City, MD... well... you probably know that the normal strictures just don't apply.

Most of the carousel photos were taken in Mansfield, Ohio. They have a beautiful old merry-go-round right in the middle of town. Why Mansfield? Because they have a historic carousel district right in the middle of town. But why did I go to Mansfield? To take photos at an abandoned prison reformatory. But that's a story for another show.

Carnivalesque: A Grim Guignol

Carnivalesque: A Grim Guignol
June 8 - July 8, 2006
Opening Reception: Saturday June 10 - 6-9pm
Closing reception: saturday, July 8 - 6-9pm

View carnival images by David Grim
View other carnival images

Carnivalesque: A Grim GuignolCarnival - a burlesque world of the odd, the unique, the strange, the macabre' and the fun. Have some fun with Digging Pitt Gallery and the Carnival exhibit. Shills and carneys, barkers and roustabouts jigging to the blatting of the cally-ope. Come one, come all! Digging Pitt Gallery invites you to submit your art for the gallery exhibition. The exhibit will be curated by Digging Pitt artist David Grim.

Join us at the opening reception for special performances by:
Phat ManDee
Andrew the ImpaledOriginal
music composition by Andres Ortiz-Ferrari

Artists included in the exhibit
Florence Barry
Kate Bechak
Christine Bethea
Nicholas Vincent Brungo
JJ Burns
Chuck Busha
John Calandra
Connie Cantor
Victoria Cessna
Francis Crisafio
John Eastman
Gus Fink
Marci Ghering
Carl Goldman
Gloria Gomez
David Gonzalez
David Grim
Jennifer Howison
Jeff Katrencik
Thad Kellstadt
Paula Garrick Klein
George Kollar
Sarah Emily Kuntz
Ladyboy
LeRoy, King of Art
Laura Jean McLaughlin
Chris Mozley
Michael Ortoski
Kyle Pattison
Todd Pinkham
Karri Roberts
Reverend Daisher Rocket
Richard Schnap
Bruce Siskawicz
Jessica Sommer
Kathryn Strutz
Laura Stuart
Jim Towns
Robert Villamagna
April West
Alice Winn
Chris Zarchansky
Bob Ziller

Curator, David Grim
The traveling carnival reached it's archetypal form between the two world wars. Originally they were included as part of the midway of a traveling show or circus, but due to the economic malaise of the country were scaled down to truck-convoy sized proportions. There were dozens of companies plying this trade at each and every crossroads, junction and pisspot across the land.

Of course the impetus of each and every carnival operation was the need to separate the rube or mark from his/her money. In order to do this all manner of con games and amusements were employed. The sleight-of-hand, manipulation and distortion belied the expectation of magic in the hearts of the non-suspecting.

The lures of the carnival were varied, but they can generally be considered in categories. There was the glitz of the rides... the ferris wheel and merry-go-round for the kiddies... There were the games of "chance" which were, without exception, rigged. And there was the haven of the true artists and performers... the sideshow (also known as freakshow, or "ten-in-one"). No doubt there were the grindshows (cooch shows) for the adult men to tuck surreptitiously in, as their children gorged themselves on cheap unwholesome food. But for our purposes, the "ten-in-one" must gather our focus.

A traditional "ten-in-one" was contained under a tent with a platform outside, at its entrance. On the platform, the "talker" would unravel his spellbinding spiel of sensationalism, weaving strange stories into the sensibilities of the spectators. His job was to "turn the tip", which simply meant to generate a paying audience for the show inside the tent. Of course the promise was the product, not the reality. Once the crowd had been admitted, an emcee would introduce the acts, one-by-one. These included all sorts of natural born human oddities as well as "working" attractions (those type of practitioners like mentalists, contortionists, sword-eaters, strongmen, etc, that could be easily replaced).

The sideshow invariably culminated with the blow-off. It's purpose was to get the crowd out of the tent, and the next group of rubes in. For a nominal additional fee, the audience would be offered a phenomena SO STRANGE and MIRACULOUS that they would NEVER FORGET it AS LONG AS THEY LIVED!!! This was usually a "pickled punk" (fetus in a jar, malformed or not), or a hermaphrodite (sometimes even authentic!). Of course those who took the bait were sworn to secrecy so that they would taunt their friends into sharing the experience of being fleeced for the additional blow-off fee.The more I think about the entire phenomena, the more parallels between the carnival and art worlds become painfully obvious. I'll spare you the hopefully unnecessary and long-winded elucidations. Curator's statement - David Grim