Detritus - Tom Norulak solo at 709 Penn

I love those unanticipated hours, where you aren't committed to being somewhere or doing something. Last week, I happened to have one of those little schedule gaps while I was downtown. Putting the time to good use, I swung by 709 Penn Gallery, and I'm so glad that I did.

I very much admire Tom Norulak's work, and his solo, Detritus, provides an overview of his etchings over the last several years. The images are predominantly of industrial and consumer waste, abandoned and overtaken by nature. Not just the softly decayed and greyed flotsam of paper wrappers, though. This series concentrates on larger pieces of waste, like old tires and abandoned oil rigs, and sawblades.

Without exception, the images are in black and white. While the works are grounded in objective imagery, the prints have abstract qualities that show a sense of exploration beyond the immediate. The lighter textures seem gritty and grainy, but on closer examination have an almost crystalline structure. The very deep blacks seem to come away from the surface, or in some instances appear calligraphic. The prints bear up to close examination, providing a complex experience of subject and aesthetics.

I think you can bring your own thoughts to this exhibit; Mr. Norulak has provided the viewer with the information to draw their own conclusions without the condescension of an arts-based "teaching moment" and without brazenly dictating an agenda.

Detritus
Etchings by Tom Norulak
November 25, 2011 - January 8, 2012
709 Penn Gallery
The Trust’s Education & Community Engagement department
412-456-6666

PIttsburgh Biennial LeRoy at Pittsburgh Center for the Arts through 9/18

John and I are happy to be a part of LeRoy's work in the Pittsburgh Biennial. As you can see, we are a very small part. LeRoy's huge installation of a fabric collage at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts is fascinating. So much to look at. To quote Kurt Shaw from the Pittsburgh Tribune Review:

The remaining works on display are quite compelling, if not beautiful. Pittsburgh artist Paul LeRoy Gehres, a.k.a. LeRoy "King of Art" MFA, presents a fabric-collage installation of pop-cultural references in his installation "I'm a Lover not a Fighter." The installation encourages audience participation with FOR TWOS, a wearable garment designed for the interaction of two people at once, originally invented by German contemporary artist Franz Erhard Walther. Visitors are invited to wear the FOR TWOS, have a conversation about the subject matter that Gehres has printed on each, photograph the process, post the photos on his "I'm a Lover not a Fighter" Facebook page and continue the conversation on his blog, lovernotafighter.blogspot.com, making for one of the more engaging works in the exhibit.

There are many terrible ties. And many other images culled from photos of Pittsburghers and others, presented in interesting ways. I was particularly taken by a photo of Phyllis Diller on a PINK khaki background.
BE AWARE that the earlier parts of the Biennial...at the Pgh. Center for the Arts, The Carnegie and the Filmmakers are open only through Sunday!

So Much Art, So Little Time: Friday 9/02/2011 (and Sat.9/03/11)

Lots of great stuff tonight. No way to make it all! Also an interesting exhibit opening Saturday in Shadside at Galley 4. Take your pick:
Penn Ave. "Unblurred" As always, numerous openings here, including "Digital Salad" at Assemble.Most galleries open 7-9 or 7-10
"Confluence" at Unsmoke Systems From 7-11 in Braddock. A traveling exhibit with photographs of the Ohio and Monongahela River Valleys.
"Undressing the Body, Poetry Reading and Bhangra Dance Party" Warhol 6-9. Related to The Word of God(ess) exhibit. That exhibit ends Sunday.
On Saturday "Funhouse of Terror" Gallery 4, Shadyside, Paintings by Brian Holderman 7-11.

Susan Constanse "Unreal Spaces" Opening at Image Box 10/1, 7-10

There are many things to see tomorrow night, with both the Gallery Crawl downtown and Unblurred going on. This exhibit "Unreal Spaces" (part of Unblurred)is a don't miss. I have seen some of the paintings in Susan's studio, and they are wonderful. I think it is best to let the artist describe the series, see below.

I am pleased to announce that I will be presenting works from my Unreal Spaces series at Imagebox. Opening in October, I’ll be exhibiting the newest work from this series. Hope you can make it for the reception on October 1.

Unreal Spaces series
Recent Works by Susan Constanse
October 1 – 29, 2010
Opening reception: Friday, October 1, 2010: 7-10PM
The show is available for viewing during the opening reception, all other times by appointment only. Contact Susan Constanse at susanconstanse@gmail.com to set up a meeting.
Imagebox
4933 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15224
(412) 441-0930

Artist Statement
Unreal Spaces series

I am a habitual pedestrian, using public transportation only for journeys further than two miles. In my walks through the neighborhoods of Pittsburgh, I became very aware of the structure of the streets, with its triangle blocks, breezeways and alleys. The streets echo back to the birth of the city, when pathways evolved along the contours of the land, seeking always the path of least resistance. The city has an organic quality to its structure, with houses and buildings evolving and decaying in their use and function. Much of the architecture has strange, almost purposeless, features.

The geography implied in Unreal Spaces references the architecture and contours of Pittsburgh. The works do not reflect a physical landscape but are a recording of foot travel and its purpose; an abstract auto-geography. As I travel between my home and various points around my city, I am fully engaged, taking the time to observe building facades and the odd corners and spaces between structures.
The paintings take several sessions over the course of a month. In this respect, the works are like a portrait, not of a moment but of a time span. The difference between a portrait and a photograph is just this distinction; that the artist records their observations over a period of time, providing a denser and more meaningful representation.

Light features highly in the work, specifically referenced in adding dimension and depth through veils, shafts and implied reflection. Palette, which is a subtle and complex vocabulary, is integral to my work. Color, in all of its values, provides a way of creating a subtext within individual works.

I am influenced by the design and color characteristics explored by painters like Klee and Kandinsky. Klee’s compositions and palette are emotionally orchestrated, implying movement and space beyond the confines of the individual works. Kandinsky is a master at reconciling objective and non-objective elements.

Materials
Paintings. The paint is applied in thin layers, building from broad foundations to greater complexity in color and in hand. The paintings are allowed to mature and are finished with Dammar varnish.
Works on paper. The works on paper allow a casual exploration of themes and materials.

Has this illuminated art work found a home in Braddock or is it in a dumpster?

I had the very impractical idea of making an illuminated piece that was based on my Carrie Furnace photos, and putting it in the doorway of an abandoned building in Braddock.

I picked a spot near the closed UPMC Braddock, as that area could use some light these days (or nights rather). I experimented with using solar powered lights, and did some otherthings that were new for me in my work. The piece is? was? about 40 inches high,and was stapled to a make shift pedestal since the doorway wasn't level.

Now obviously, it was unlikely I was actually going to ever get this piece back....I didn't really secure it, just a few staples. I was really hoping it wouldn't get trashed.....and I don't think it was.....as the staples seem to have been carefully removed so as to not damage the piece or the lights.

So, I don't want it back....but I'd love to know where it is.

I do think I'll make my next one a bit more difficult to get...as I think this one was only out 24 hours or so.

Any info?

Harish Saluja "Mandalas and Deities" opens 9/3 Friday 7-9,Mendelson Gallery

In the 1980's Harish was very well known in the Pittsburgh art scene as the creator of rich and dynamic abstract paintings. His work was collected both locally and nationally. I have always found his work to be inspiring and exciting. His new series, Mandalas and Deities, looks...even better.
The opening reception tomorrow is likely to be very crowded, but lots of fun. So if you do come tomorrow, you may also want to plan to stop by in the next few weeks to see the paintings properly. See write up from Silkscreen Asian American Film Festival below

After a long detour in the world of Cinema, artist Harish Saluja has a new set of paintings to share. The show ‘Mandalas and Deities’ opens at the Mendelson Gallery Sep 3 and runs through October 2, 2010.
Although he has an engineering degree from the prestigious IIT Kharagpur which remains unused, he has been painting and showing his work for over 40 years. Harish’s work falls under the Abstract Expressionism discipline.
Apart from painting, Harish’s creativity has explored literature, music and film. He directed, produced, and acted in several movies and plays, including the award-winning film The Journey. www.newrayfilms.com. He also co-hosts one of the longest running Indian music radio programs in the country, Music From India, on WDUQ Pittsburgh. Since 2005 he has been running Silk Screen, a non-profit Asian Arts and culture organization.
In his Mandala and Deity Series Paintings, his latest set of works on canvas, he has started incorporating figurative and semi-abstract images with abstraction. The result is a sumptuous, almost erotic celebration of joy.
Mandala is Sanskrit for circle, polygon, community, and connection. It is a symbol of man or woman in the world, a support for the meditating person. It is often illustrated as a palace with four gates, facing the four corners of the Earth. Before the meditating person arrives at the gates, he/she must pass the four outer circles. Saluja builds on this basic discipline and gives it an abstract flavor.
The other set of paintings are Abstract depictions of Hindu deities: Shiva, Ganesha, Sarasvati and others.

Opening This Weekend: Art Exhibits

Opening TONIGHT 7-9 at Fe Gallery in Lawrenceville, "Cocoons and Mobile Homes". Work by Scott Turri (see above). I love this artist's work.

Also opening TONIGHT "Tar Baby Jane and Doo-Wop: Everything Useful for Your Modern Household Mercantile", a new exhibit by Vanessa German at 709 Penn Gallery, 6-8. Next week the artist will be doing an improvisational spoken-word performances at 709 at the July 16 Downtown gallery crawl. I have never seen one of her performances, so I hope I can get a space there next week....I think it will be jammed.

TOMORROW: The actual opening of Merge Divides (a writer for this blog) and David Grim's exhibit at Panza Gallery in Millvale (last Saturdays opening was actually a pre-opening). Lots of great work here. From City Paper:

If you don't think anyone uses phone books anymore, talk to David Grim. The artist's new exhibit Book of Life centers on more than 400 ink drawings he's made on phone-book pages. The show ("inspired by a childhood escape from religious conversion") opens tonight at Millvale's Panza Gallery. It runs alongside "Merge Divide," featuring photographs from Grim's photo blog of images from Pittsburgh's geographic neighborhood, called Crown of Appalachia. The opening reception is tonight. BO 6-9 p.m. Show runs through July 31. 115 Sedgwick St., Millvale. Free. 412-821-0959 or www.panzagallery.com

Also Tomorrow: Made in Lawrenceville at Be Gallery. This looks really interesting....
it is....just what it says. Includes paintings by yet another DP (ie Pgh. Ohio, Youngstown etc) blogger Susan Constanse, who does beautiful abstract paintings in oils.

On July 10th, be Galleries celebrates Lawrenceville's thriving artistic community with the opening of Made in Lawrenceville (You'd be Surprised to Know), an exhibition featuring a wide range of art, materials, handmade goods, and other works created exclusively in Lawrenceville. The show will also exhibit fashion and textile design, soap-making, clay, printmaking, as well as more traditional painting and sculpture. The materials portion of the show will be curated by Janice Donatelli of Artemis Environmental while the art portion will be curated by gallery owner Joy Borelli-Edwards. Come and experience the creative energy of Lawrenceville live and in person!
Date:
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Time:
6 p.m.-9 p.m.
Location:
be Galleries, 3583 Butler Street, Lawrenceville, PA 15201
Sponsored by:
be Galleries and Artemis Environmental Building Materials, http://www.begalleries.com/ http://www.artemisenvironmental.com/

Opening Tonight at Mendelson Gallery: Jack Weiss and Vanessa German

2010 AAP Mendelson Exhibition Award Winners: Jack Weiss and Vanessa German.
The Mendelson Gallery is proud to present Jack Weiss and Vanessa German, winners of the 2010 AAP exhibit Award. These two artists seem very different from one another at first glance, but there is a subtle balance between them. See their artwork at the opening on Wednesday, June 30 from 5:30 until 8:30. (Please note the change in date for the opening reception first posted in the AAP calendar)

Vanessa German CP Article and Post Gazette Video

If you know Vanessa German's work...don't miss these links. If you don't know her work....don't miss these links.

As I was reading the CP article....the thought..."hmmmm maybe a genius?" crossed my mind a couple of times. At least.

Pittsburgh CP Cover Story 5/19/2010 http://www.pittsburghcitypaper.ws/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid:79346

Pittsburgh Post Gazette" In the Frame" video http://www.post-gazette.com/multimedia/default.asp?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipid=4811796

Call for artists

Future Tenant
www.futuretenant.org
819 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
(412) 325-7037

Three Rivers Arts Festival - Part II

One of the components for this year's Three Rivers Arts Festival is the Contained exhibit. The festival purchased ten shipping containers and accepted proposals for installations. Some of the installations were quite striking, with the artists taking the long and narrow space into account.

Contained #10
Twist, Tie, Multiply: Hands in Action
by Anna Divinsky, Joanna Commandaros and Karen Page
An interactive cabinet of curiosities representing the body that will evolve and grow over the course of the Festival.



Unfortunately, I missed the hands-on activities associated with Twist, Tie, Multiply. It is an exceptionally beautiful work, with the walls painted a soothing green and the beautiful floral motifs that were developed by the artists. The depth of th space was used advantageously in the work, creating a sense of an intimate garden. Below is a detail of one of the organic forms that adorn the walls of this container.



Contained #1
Code Words: Mutations
by Lori Hepner
An interactive print installation that explores binary code and the ways in which language breaks down.


I found this work to be visually appealing. It spoke to me about rhythm and the subtle variations available in the multiple reproduction of a few simple objects. The palette was limited, made up of softened hues. So, I am reacting to this work on a purely visual level, using the artist's aesthetics to reinforce my own ideas. The following is from Lori Hepner's statement --

Examining the interplay between technology, language and translation, Lori Hepner's Code Words: Mutations, is an interactive installation incorporating photography and hand-sewn silk panels. The photographs of binary code destructing as dyed silk in bleach speaks to the ways in which binary code can mutate and change unbeknownst to the user. Viewers will have the opportunity to interact with the exhibit by purchasing the prints, thus changing the overall meaning of the piece.

I tried to get a tight shot of one of the prints used in the installation, mostly to record a sense of the color -



Contained #2
Equipoise
by Joshua Space
An enormous kaleidoscope invites you to explore questions of light and space.



I loved this piece. I actually got trapped in this container by a sudden thunderstorm. I spent nearly a half hour with Joshua Space's kaleidoscope. And another festival goer who sat on the floor with me, he with his lunch, me with my coffee. This work is especially effective in its container. Of course, the still shot isn't quite enough to get the full effect of Equipoise. I also shot this little short video of the work --



Contained
Three Rivers Arts Festival
Market Square, Downtown
Every Day: June 6-22 : 12 - 8 pm

Three Rivers Arts Festival - Part I

The Three Rivers Arts Festival is in full swing. I went down today to check out a few things. It started out to be a slightly humid day, but an hour into my visit, the sky broke open with torrents of rain, I mean buckets! Which is, of course, part of every Pittsburghers expectation for the festival. It ALWAYS rains during the festival. I got to the Artists Market just as everybody was putting their booths back together, so I couldn't get good booth images.

This is Kyle Ethan Fischer --


Kyle has only a few more days at the festival - his last day is June 16. If you can't make it to the festival to see his work at the festival, you can always catch him at his studio on Penn Avenue on First Fridays. I took a few images while I was at his booth.





His work is really amazing. And really, he is one of the high points of the artist market. I suppose that these kinds of fairs have fallen out of favor with artists. It seems that the artist market has pretty much the same selection every year, with only a few new faces. Part of how the Three Rivers Arts Festival is keeping things fresh is through their emerging artists program, of which Kyle Fischer is one. These festival newcomers are given subsidized booths for one week of the festival.

Another tactic that is working well for the festival is gallery row. A few galleries in Pittsburgh usually have a presence at the festival. This year, it is Ash Gallery, the Union Project and Planet Art Gallery. It was still spattering when I went down gallery row, so of course I did not even try for a booth shot. This is Allison Hoge, Ash Gallery --



This work had some really subtle shadings and layering. It appealed to me because of the variations in focus within the edges of the canvas. Most of the works presented by Allison Hoge at the festival had a very fiery appearance, predominantly a very hot red. Gorgeous work, really.

One of my favorite glass artist teams, Dale Sauers and Jason Amstutz, was at the festival this year, presenting blown and fused works ranging from vases to jewelry. They had a major booth catastrophe with the storm, almost losing their booth. The storm also flooded their containers and vessels. They were still cleaning up and reorganizing when I stopped by their booth. Dale, even with the water-logged purse and paperwork, was a pleasure. I'm sure I would have been in melt down mode. And Jason was stoically securing the tent, making sure that it was secure before the storm returned this afternoon.







Pittsburgh Celebrates 250 at PPG's Winter Garden - Icing on the Cake
Every Day: June 6-22 : 12 - 8 pm



I love the Winter Garden; it's a beautiful setting. The installation on the AAP exhibit was really sweet, as you can see in the above image. Best in show - David Watt's Comfort Cake, a confection of fuzzy perogies.



Next up - Contained

POWER @Future Tenant

POWER
September 28 - October 10
Future Tenant
Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Opening reception - September 28, 6PM

FUTURE TENANT PRESENTS: POWER - The Definition of Feminine Power Curated by Christiane D. September 28 - October 20 www.futuretenant.org

This group exhibit will collectively express the definition of feminine power through the eyes, heart and souls of twenty women. Each participating artist will have one piece on display. Why one piece? Because more often than not, that is all one gets. One chance to make an impression. One chance to express their power.

POWER will present the work of the following artists: Susan Constanse, Suz Pisano, Veronica Corpuz, Rise Nagin, Alexis S. Covato, Patricia Villalobos Echeverría, Cara Erskine, Carolina Loyola-Garcia, Vanessa German, Stacy Rae Gross, Pamela Jennings, Monique Luck, Maritza Mosquera, Renee Ruth Ickes, Staycee Pearl, Rebecca Rose, Sam Thorp, and Two Girls Working (Renee Piechocki and Tiffany Ludwig)

SPECIAL POWER EVENTS
at our NEW location! -
819 Penn Avenue, Cultural District
Opening Reception - September 28, 6-9 pm
Featuring:
Speaker Linda Babcock,
James M. Walton Professor of Economics and author of the book,Women Don't Ask: Negotiation and the Gender Divide

DJ Shorty Rock
and
Cocktail creations from the Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails (LUPEC)

ALL LIT UP - A POWER-ful evening of Words and Women October 12 - 7:00 pm
Featuring the literary and poetic works of Ellen Smith, Jan Beatty, Lori Jakiela, Carrie Smith, Megan Tutulo, and Stephanie Brea
Tickets are $3.00 at the door

FOR MORE INFO visit us at www.futuretenant.org

Moving Party for Future Tennant

Future Tenant, the free form art space run by the Institute For the Management Of Creative Enterprises at CMU will be having to move out of it's current space. It will be having a big moving out party on August 2nd.

Name: Future Tenant Moving Out Party
Tagline: It's going to freaking ROCK
Host: Future Tenant
Type: Party - Goodbye Party
Time and Place Date: Thursday, August 2, 2007
Time: 7:00pm - 10:00pm
Location: Future Tenant
Street: 801 Liberty Avenue
City/Town: Pittsburgh, PA

View Map

Future Tenant is an idea, not a location

"This fall, Future Tenant will be moving to a new location in Pittsburgh's Cultural District. After six years at 801 Liberty Avenue, Future Tenant will be fulfilling a vital part of its mission, that of the mobile laboratory. On August 2, 2007, Future Tenant will be shutting the doors of 801 Liberty Avenue and opening the doors to new opportunities. As our name suggests, Future Tenant has always believed that our presence could attract new tenants (local businesses) to the vacant spaces of Downtown Pittsburgh and serve as a tool for revitalization. That time has come and as one previously empty venue is filled, we will move onto another.

Future Tenant will never be tied to any one physical venue, but will take up its work wherever there is access to suitable space. While it may not have a specific address in hand, the Pittsburgh audience will know that wherever Future Tenant gathers a group of artists, there will be found a constantly changing menu of vibrant, provocative new work.."

I will try to do some posts on the history of the place and all the past events-- but, like Artists Upstairs-- they failed to do a great job of documenting things. For the most part, the place has been run very sincerly by the students, with very little support from either CMU as a major institution or the wider community. Or at least it seems that way.

They promise to cary on.

Maxo Vanka Murals

Thanks to Merge, I finally got in to see the Maxo Vanka murals in Millvale. Hopefully, I will have some of the images up soon. Several people in our small group had some bad ass cameras and I hope a few will let me use some of their shots. The murals are one of the most valuable pieces of the region's cultural heritage that are at risk of being lost.

The artist/ musician, David Byrne, came accross them during a 2004 tour.

"The church is Croatian and the murals, by Maxo Vanka, are spectacular. The Diego Riviera of Pittsburgh, I would say. They murals were done during 8 weeks in 1937 and they cover the interior of the church. Of course, there is the virgin holding the child, but below her, for example, on either side of what is now the altar, are Croatian people - on the left from the old world and on the right from the new. A steel foundry can be seen belching smoke behind them.

But more amazing are the political murals that echo the crucifixion. Widows mourn over a coffin that contains a bleeding corpse, a soldier. Crosses cover the hillside behind them. Another wall depicts a corrupt justice in a gas mask holding scales on which the gold outweighs the bread. Clearly WWI had a big effect on Maxo."

On another site, I found this quote from Vanka, about the murals.

For Vanka, the message in these murals was simple, "Everywhere they tell men that they must kill. Men must revolt against 'must-killing'." He described the murals in their entirety: "Divinity became human so that humanity might become divine."

Gestures @ The Mattress Factory : images 2

Jeff Schwarz
Jeff Schwarz
Shawn Watrous
Shawn Watrous
Alexandra Johnson Watrous
Alexandra Johnson Watrous
Alexandra Johnson Watrous

Here's my next batch of images from the last Gestures show. Try to remember that these were instalations and trying to capture anything about them with a few still images doesn't work. For the record, the photo above the fireplace in Alex Watrous's shot is a separate work by Anne Angyal. Also, the Jeff Schwarz work is a video projection with sound. The Mattress factory often posts an image archive of their shows, so stay tuned.

Wanta know what's going on where?

Here's a handy map for your travels through Lawrenceville and along the Penn Avenue corridor in Pittsburgh. Kind of do-it-yourself tour of some of our really cool little spaces. Watch this space for additional maps as we either find or make them.
Love
DPG

This show will also have an opening downtown tomorrow night at 707 Penn.


707 PENNinvites you to an opening reception

Friday, December 8from 5 - 7pm
VISTAS new works by Sarah Beitler

GALLERY HOURS
Tuesday-Thursday 12-8pm
Friday-Saturday 12-10pm

I think the show closes on Dec 31st, but I am not too sure how I got that info. The email I got didn't have it and what passes for a website doesn't give any date for the closing.

Good luck finding much info about this show.

People should be realistic about what most of the downtwon shows are-- temporary, transparent efforts to hype real estate downtown. However, many of these shows are very worthwhile. People here need to cherish these spaces while they exist.

Miguel Chevalier : Ultra Nature @ Wood Street

Here are some still shots I took of the Miguel Chevalier instalation on Wood Street's second floor. Ther is also an amazing piece on the floor above called RGB Land that I will post on later. Here's the press release from Wood Street's website. Both of these works have to be experienced in person.

"Ultra-Nature is a lush virtual garden that was created for Sejul Gallery, Korea. The garden’s flora is made up of eight varieties of luminescent, scalar plants, ranging from herbaceous vegetation and bright yellow flowers with turquoise stems, through to cacti in shades of red and violet. Each plant evolves according to a unique cycle that is defined by its morphogenetic characteristics. Motion sensors allow visitors to influence the growth of the garden’s plants. As viewers interact with the artwork, the plants incline to the left or right, creating a scene that alternates between baroque strapwork and stylized organic ballet. In this way, they mirror Monet's cosmic sensibility, his evocation of light and time as well as his taste for series (as in Nymphéas water lily)."

Wood Street Galleries is located in Pittsburgh's Cultural District.
601 Wood StreetPittsburgh, PA 15222

Bill Cousins' Art Party

In case you couldn't make it Saturday night...
Bill Cousins new digs are just wonderful. I wouldn't have expected that the third floor of this building would have so much open space. It was a beautiful setting for Bill's bright, enamel paintings. Top is Bill, and below is a display of some of his larger works.

The work is very vigorous. I didn't get much of a chance to talk to him about his work. It seems he is working intuitively, reacting to the medium and the color. Very strong paintings.