Wonder of wonders, the most recent edition of the Gallery Crawl was not scheduled for the same Friday as Unblurred. Too often, I have had to make a choice on which to attend. Usually I end up on Penn Avenue in Friendship because the venues have much more limited hours and the exhibits have a shorter run. In case you have lost track, Unblurred is taking place on Friday, October 7.
Looped
You have probably seen Tom Mosser's work, walking down Smithfield Street in Downtown. His Two Andy's mural is located on the wall above Weiner World. This past month, Mosser's work has been displayed in the lobby of L'enfant Lofts.
In place are a few oil paintings, including the above work. There is a fine attention to color in these works, layered meticulously. On close examination, the canvas works have a low-relief of texture, heralding back to the concepts expressed by the Pointillist school. The over-blown depiction of the flower and the single eyes that comprise the paintings on exhibit allow for a lot of latitude in the color composition.
If you want to see Mr. Mosser's work, he has a very extensive website and his studio is at the Blackbird Lofts in Larryville. L'enfant Lofts, where he is exhibiting downtown, is a loft development in progress and does not has regular hours. You can, I'm sure, peek through the windows while you're walking on Penn Avenue.
Looped - Tom Mosser
L'enfant Lofts
806 Penn
Universal Expressions: Movement in Multiple Dimensions
Thomas Bigatel Open Wound Healing
This is an aptly named exhibit: the works by Thomas Bigatel express gesture very well. His palette, while focused within individual works, is broadly employed in the presented in the exhibit. His color choices seem impulsive, but are definitely guided by an experienced eye. Coupled with the gestural quality of his mark-making, the works are intense and kinetic.
I was particularly drawn to Open Wound Healing (pictured above). The subtle transitions of yellow to yellow-green is a calming counter to the contrasting blood-reds of the central motif. My sense of the piece was that it pulsated to the beat of a heart.
Universal Expressions has just recently opened and will remain on display through November 13.
Universal Expressions: Movement in Multiple Dimensions
Painting and Sculptures by Thomas Bigatel and Peter Johnson
Friday, September 23 - Sunday, November 13, 2011
709 Penn Gallery
709 Penn Ave
Gallery hours
Wednesday through Thursday, 11 Am to 6 PM,
Friday-Saturday 11Am to 8 PM, Sunday 11 to 5 PM. till 5 PM
Progression
707 Penn Gallery Progression
Harish Saluja includes painting in his many artistic passions. The Progression exhibit includes works from various series, showcasing Saluja's range of expression. The works are layered with detailed texture and shift between figurative and abstract. I was drawn very much to the interpretative Mandalas that were included in the exhibit.
Harish Saluja Mandala #4
From Mr. Saluja's site --
In his Mandala Series, his latest set of paintings, 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. The Mandala 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, however, pass the four outer circles: the purifying fire of wisdom, the vajra circle, and the circle with the eight tombs and the lotus circle.
I would further add that Mandala #4 has a quality of controlled danger to it, with its central circle of slashed red and the overlapping textures that demonstrate an intrusion of one circle into the next.
Harish Saluja - Progression
707 Penn Gallery
707 Penn Ave
Gallery hours
Wednesday through Thursday, 11 Am to 6 PM,
Friday-Saturday 11Am to 8 PM, Sunday 11 to 5 PM. till 5 PM
Shake It & Make It with Handmade Arcade!
The last Gallery Crawl saw a pop-up exhibit of Jason Sauer's work at 929 Liberty Avenue; this month, the lovely people of Handmade Arcade took over for an evening of DIY crafting and making. Tables were ranged around the room, a DJ was spinning some great tunes, and the space was packed with dozens of people. A continuous stream kept the Handmade Arcadians hopping, helping with making buttons, postcards and flowers. You could also leave a message for anyone that came in about the things you love to make.
The projects underway last evening --
"Greetings from Pittsburgh" (handmade postcards);
"Say you, Say me" (personalized pin-back buttons);
"ReFab & ReFunk" (junk flowers and mini sculptures).
Handmade Arcadians are gearing up for their big holiday show, coming in November. Hands on activities are part of the fair, so while you're doing your gift shopping, you can also plan on making a little something. I'm sure they will be posting a vendor list on their site, but in the meantime, put this on your calendar.
HANDMADE ARCADE FOR THE HOLIDAYS
SATURDAY, NOV. 12, 2011
11 AM - 7 PM
EARLY BIRDIE ENTRANCE AT 10 AM
David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Downtown
• Free admission
• Over 150 vendors, local and from out-of-state
• Early Birdie passes
• Refreshments on-site
• Hands-on Handmade activities
Your Place at the Banquet
Rose Clancy Food For Thought Table
Your Place at the Banquet, curated by Rose Clancy, attempts to engage its audience in the poltics of sustenance. The exhibit extends beyond the gallery walls to include screenings and performances in satellite locations. From the exhibition site --
Your Place at the Banquet is a visual art exhibition and public awareness initiative that critically examines the mechanisms of our industrial food system and aims to empower people to sow the seeds of change through their daily choices and actions.
The exhibition features new work by Rose Clancy, H.E.A.P. HQ (Kevin Clancy, Dan Mooradian, Ali Reid), David Pohl, Tom Sarver, and Zayde Buti that seek to generate public awareness, critical discussion, and collective action around issues of food politics.
Curated by Rose Clancy. Participating artists include:
Rose Clancy, David Pohl, Tom Sarver, H.E.A.P. HQ and Zayde Buti.
Your Place at the Banquet
September 16 – October 15, 2011
Future Tenant
819 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Open Weekdays 11am-5pm
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