A giant speaker with motion sensors rests at the end of a rotating arm.  It tracks your movements and responds by emitting a distorted ripping sound.  If you try to move out of the direct path of the speaker, it continually moves to face you. This is a piece called “Spatial Sounds," an interactive installation by artists Marnix De Nijs and Edwin van der Heide, Part of the exhibit “Physical Conditions” at the Wood Street Galleries. 

In the past ten years, video and installation art have become a justifiable genre in art.  The use of computers, sensors, projectors, and other A/V equipment has enabled artists to approach sculpture in a completely new and exciting way.  

See a video of “Spatial Sounds” (warning: turn your volume down).

This kind of technologically advanced sculpture is often on display in exclusive art galleries and Museums such as the Guggenheim, but you can see it on your lunch break.  

Located above the Wood Street T station in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh, the Wood Street Galleries (est. 1992) are a world class venue for cutting edge contemporary art.  The galleries are owned and operated by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.  It is easy enough to walk past since the entrance is a small elevator opposite the lobby of the T Station, but the gallery spaces are vast and admission is free.  

The current show “Physical Conditions” include work by the following artists: Henrik Menne, Marnix de Nijs, Donato Piccolo and Edwin van der Heide. 

Their pieces are meant to investigate the physicality of sensory experience.  

The hum of machinery welcomes you as you walk in to the gallery.  Several pieces by Henrik Menne dutifully perform their assigned tasks of dripping, blowing or spraying wax.  The subsequent buildup continually grows nearby.  

Like a combination of calculation and chance, each piece is both mechanical  and organic, rigorously dripping liquid wax to create a gradual accumulation of matter.  This continuous process enables the viewer to see the evolution of the sculpture while it is on display.  The other works on display also engage some level of interaction.  

The current show runs through Sept. 25. Gallery Hours are 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.  You can see a live video feed of the gallery from a link on their website.  

Some quick art history:

I know that you are all familiar with “that painting with the melting clocks”, right?  That, and many other works by Salvador Dali are almost as ubiquitous as cell phones.  Some of you may know that Dali’s main affiliation was with the Surrealists.  Surrealism was an artistic movement that began in Paris in the 1920‘s lead by the writer Andre Breton. He even wrote a Surrealist Manifesto in 1924.  The long list of artists associated with this movement crosses all genres of the fine arts, and surrealist exhibitions were held well into the 50’s and 60’s in New York and Paris.  

The point to this is that the movement was more than just Dali’s floppy clocks, it was an intellectual and highly philosophical movement that spawned many other movements that continue to influence artists even today.  

This brings us back to the present, and to the work of local artist Benedict Oddi.  This week concludes his show "The Truth is Made" at the Modern Formations Gallery (4919 Penn Avenue) here in town.  Mr. Oddi holds a bachelor and masters degree in painting, having recently received his MFA from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.  

Looking at Mr. Oddi’s paintings, one can see the influence of such artists as Yves Tanguy and Giorgio de Chirico (both affiliated with the surrealists).  His dreamlike landscapes have a feeling of being both familiar, and otherworldly. They engage on a level that keeps you guessing, while at the same time they make you feel some level of freedom or comfort. You can feel the weight of the ropes in the painting titled “F Your Sailboat”, yet at the same time the surrounding waves seem soft.  This gives the whole painting a simultaneous heavy and light sensation.  

This multi-faceted layering of visual reference can also be seen in the piece “Wage Labor”.  Various objects in the painting have shadows, giving them volume and shape.  At the same time however, the tracks and the rail cart are intentionally flat and two dimensional.  When you look at this, your interpretation might be very different from the artists interpretation, but that is part of the idea.  Enjoy these pieces by an up and coming local artist.  He has numerous examples on his website along with contact info if you have any questions or comments for him.

A few weeks ago I posted an interview with Luke and Eloy Gallery owner Brigitte Martin.     Last month I ventured back to Luke and Eloy to see an exhibition by the fibre/metal artist Michelle Pajak-Reynolds.  Mrs. Pajak-Reynolds specializes in what one might call “wearable sculpture”.  She makes colorful plant-like necklaces that flow like scarves, and delicate brooches that have very clever methods of hanging onto clothing.  

The show entitled “Evolution”, chronicles 10 years of work by the artist covering 3 periods of her career; the “Petal Series”, the Serendipity Series”, and the “Drawing Series”.  The gallery also has on display sketches and models giving a glimpse of the design process of Mrs. Pajak-Reynolds.  It runs until July 25th.  

The work of Mrs. Pajak-Reynolds can also be seen in books such as 500 Pendants and Lockets from Lark Books, and various fashion and design magazines including the cover of LA Brides Magazine (Spring/Summer ’04).

If you find yourself in Lawrenceville, stop into Luke and Eloy Gallery to see the first 10 years of a portfolio that is sure to continue to grow and evolve.

Too see the work of Michelle Pajak-Reynolds from the comfort of your computer chair, you have several options:

www.michellepajak.com

http://lukeandeloy.ning.com

http://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/MichellePajakReynolds

He was known to wear a cape, he broke into clients houses to rearrange the furniture, and he claimed that he was the worlds greatest architect- in court under oath!

Yes, this was Frank Lloyd Wright, one of the most legendary architects in American history.  And lucky enough his masterpiece is just east of Pittsburgh, of course, I am talking about Fallingwater.  

For those unfamiliar; Fallingwater was designed and built as the weekend home for the Kauffman family in the late 1930’s (yes, as in Kauffmans department store).  His main contact between the two parties was Edgar Kauffman jr.  He was a student at Wrights Taliesin Fellowship in Wisconsin.  In my mind, it went something like this: 

Jr.- “Hey FLW, my parents want a nice new weekend home, you should design it.”

FLW-  “Hey, your parents are loaded and this great depression is killing me, let’s do it.”

In typical Wright fashion, the project was well over budget (quote-$35,000, final cost $150,000+) but as construction emerged from the rock, Edgar Kauffman Sr. knew that this was going to be a special house.  In fact, before the house was completed, a rendering was on the cover of Time Magazine. It was the perfect blend of genius and philanthropy.  

What exactly makes this house so special?  Why do people from all over the world visit Fallingwater?  I would like to think that I have some idea because I was a tour guide there for a few seasons.  Let me make a few suggestions:

First, the obvious.  A stream runs under the house, who else has that?  The house is actually anchored into the boulders and hangs over a waterfall.  That alone is pretty bold.  Those boulders can be seen in the house as well near the fireplace. 

Second, as weekend houses go, they don’t get much better than this.  Big living-room for entertaining, plenty of bedrooms, natural recreation, ample privacy, and it even has 2 swimming pools. 

Third, an art collection some museums cut off their ear for.  No only do you have the sound a waterfall to send you to sleep, but the last thing you see before you switch off that Tiffany Lamp is a Picasso... Sweet dreams!

Forth, the details.  From the height of the house over the falls, to the location of the staircases.  The house is a model of manipulation.  Every aspect of the house exists to lead the inhabitants outside.  For example: A cavelike main entrance pushes you into the living-room in the direction of the terrace, and before you know it, you are standing over the waterfall.  

Fifth, the balancing act.  Yes, this has a double meaning.  From an engineering perspective this was a daring project for the time period, and no, Wright didn’t have an engineering degree.   On the other hand, one might say that an engineer in the 30’s wouldn’t even think of designing something like this.  Beyond that, his ability to mentally visualize his designs was unrivaled.  That kind of mental aptness produced a house that    is both an architectural monument and a preexisting natural feature, much like the waterfall.

These are just a few of my own opinions, and there are thousands, both good and bad.  Share yours!!

If you would like to visit Fallingwater, you can take a guided tour or walk the grounds.  Make reservations because it gets busy!  Be sure to check out Ohiopyle State Park while you are in the area.  It is a great place to have lunch. 

Brigitte Martin currently has her hands full with several projects.  Besides being a jewelry artist herself, she also is the owner of Luke and Eloy Gallery in Lawrenceville.  Plus, she is the director of two social networks through Ning (Ning is an online platform for people to create their own social networks, launched in October 2005). The Luke and Eloy ning site has information regarding the gallery, as well as information about participating artists. The crafthaus ning site can only be described as the facebook for craft artists.  With more than a thousand members, online exhibits, and the ability for artists to sell their work, www.crafthaus.ning.com has become a new online haven for craft artists. (Note: Craft artists are artists who have traditional training in craft media such as ceramics, metals/jewelry, woodworking, fibers/textiles, or printmaking.  Using these skills, they create works of art that utilize function, concept, metaphor, or even performance.)

I asked Mrs. Martin a few questions about her cornucopia of projects.

-Let’s start with your background, tell me about your training, the artwork that you make, how you ended up in Pittsburgh, and why you decided to open a gallery?

I am a classically trained goldsmith from Germany, meaning that I underwent an apprenticeship with a Master Goldsmith in my native country. Today, I work in a variety of materials, such as precious metals, gemstones and pearls, but also various resins, and natural fibers, such as sheep’s wool and recycled horse hair !

My husband is from Pittsburgh, and we decided to move here to be close to family.

I previously worked for years in the contemporary art world, I love all things art and craft, and cannot imagine my life without it. I tremendously enjoy gallery work, especially the interaction with artists, art collectors and buyers.

-Tell me about Luke and Eloy gallery. What do you show?

At Luke & Eloy, I show a variety of art media.  Naturally, with my background, the big focus is on artistic, handmade jewelry, however, I appreciate other art and craft media as well, such as glass, wood, ceramics, fibers, mixed media and the like, so I try to give it all a fair shot during my regular exhibitions.  At any given moment, I have a themed exhibition going on, as well as a great number of art jewelry on display. Of course, everything is available for purchase.  My upcoming shows include a retrospective of the last 10 years in the artistic life of a wonderful fiber artist (Michelle Pajak-Reynolds, June 20-July 25, 2009), followed by 2 simultaneous Solo Shows in Sep/Oct (Furniture and Tableware by Brian Ferrell paired with Fine Jewelry by Chihiro Makio from Massachusetts), afterwards (Nov 09-January 2010) I will have a group show called “Paper or Plastic?” paired with Margaux Lange’s fun jewelry made from various Barbie doll parts. I really try to bring a fresh look at art and craft to the Pittsburgh gallery scene, showing a diverse range of unusual and high quality work.

-As both an artist and gallery owner, what do you think it takes for an artist to “make it” today? Many of my students are surprised to learn that galleries take a 50% cut.  What are your thoughts on the Artist/Gallery relationship?

For an artist to make it today it takes a lot of determination, a lot of networking and a lot of plain old LUCK.  There are many absolutely tremendous artists out there, they by far outnumber the available gallery spots and exhibition opportunities.

My approach to working with artists is that of an equal partnership. The artist provides me with something unique and precious, and I try to market and sell it for the artist.  That is how we divide up the work.  On top of that, I am also interested in helping the artist succeed in their career overall, not just at my gallery, and I will do my most to support them when they need me, and in general be a fair and good friend.

-What was your initial idea for crafthaus, and did you expect it to grow this fast?

I started crafthaus a few months before I was ready to open the gallery, and I did it really out of frustration.  I was sitting alone in my studio in the basement of my house working away by myself day after day, and I felt very isolated from other creative people and the input and creative energy they can provide.  I was listening to Diane Rehm on NPR interviewing one of the ning.com platform founders who described what they were doing, and it literally hit me like a ton of bricks.  I quit working in the studio right then and there, and started crafthaus. I absolutely never envisioned this becoming big at all, it really was just meant to be a small way to connect better with people I already knew. All that growth came over time and the development was natural. I never paid a dime for advertising, it was all word of mouth.  I kept adding various features to the site, and had lots of ideas that I thought were interesting to the membership.  Lucky for me, the membership thought they were interesting too.

-What are your expectations of someone who visits Luke and Eloy Gallery?  And Crafthaus?

  In both cases, I would like the visitors to enjoy their experience and come away with a feeling that they had a good time.  I sincerely hope that   visitors find something that is meaningful to them personally and that they can connect with in either the brick and mortar gallery or the online   environment.  If they form that connection, of course, I would also hope they will consider buying that work of art or piece of jewelry to takehome and cherish, or give as a gift.

-How has being trained as an artist prepared you for starting your own online artist network, as well as run a gallery?

The art training alone has not prepared me at all for what I am doing now. I also have a background in Hotel Management, have worked for the auction house Sotheby’s, and spent many years as a Director’s assistant at a contemporary fine art gallery.  It is the combination of these diverse fields that makes this work for me.

-Finally, what is your advice for someone who does not often visit galleries?  What should they expect from visiting a gallery?

 Expect to be amazed.  Keep an open mind towards unusual sights, and absolutely ask questions if you would like, don’t be intimidated or think  that you will be viewed as ignorant.  Nowadays, galleries are no longer snobbish havens for the few high-brow sophisticates amongst us, but fun  and interesting places where new experiences can be had in a relaxed environment. I know that this is definitely true for what is going on at  Luke & Eloy.