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.

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. 

For my next posting I will be interviewing Brigitte Martin, she is the owner of the Luke and Eloy Gallery in Lawrenceville.  She also started the website www.crafthaus.ning.com, which is a social networking site for craft artists.  

In the meantime, here is a link to an article about the Pittsburgh Symphony, currently on tour in China.  Apparently, they brought down the house to a demanding crowd in Shanghai.

Crowd in Shanghai didn't wan PSO to Stop the Music

The Inner Groove: Guide to Stepping out.

Now that we have established that there is much to do in the Pittsburgh arts scene (see previous posting), we need to get out to look at some art. 

I may be wrong, but I expect most visitors to this site are business professionals.  This is just a guess, but I would assume most of your art experience comes from the required college art class, which was always in a dark auditorium early in the morning.  Slide after slide of paintings… da Vinci (click), van Gogh (click), Renoir (click).  That type of format would even make a class called “the history of cool explosions” seem dull.  It is time for us to turn on the lights, and leave the auditorium. 

The following is a guide for inexperienced art goers.  Here are a few tips on the why, how, where, and who cares of gallery hopping.   

Stepping Out, Tip #1: Experience

One of the most important aspects of art is “the experience”.  Going to a Pittsburgh Steelers game is VERY different from just watching it on TV. Nothing is better than seeing the real thing.  Sometimes they win, and sometimes they lose, but the experience still makes the trip worthwhile.  The same can be said for seeing the actual work of art (whether you like the art or not).  Standing next to the 8 ft painting of Niagara Falls and for a split second; you might think you feel a cool mist.  On the other hand, the infamous Mona Lisa is displayed behind bulletproof glass, and she constantly   looks back at a crowd of squinting tourists from her climate controlled UV protected room.  Being consumed by a painting, or by a crowd of camera wielding tourists can elicit a reaction, and whether it is good or bad- it is the reaction that counts. Either way, you are still being affected by direct experience. This leads to the next tip.

Stepping out, Tip #2: I knows what I likes-

Nobody likes every work of art.  I am partial to minimal looking designs; I like painters such as Edward Hopper, whereas some find his work to be a bit stark.  Things such as Rococo interior design make me feel like I just ate a bag of icing, but it might seem like perfect opulence to someone else.

With this in mind, there is nothing wrong with disliking a piece of art (famous or not), and an art degree is not needed to determine how you feel about it.  Mostly, preference comes down to a gut feeling.  However, things start to get a little foggy with modern art because it relies so heavily on concept.  Much (not all) of what you will see in galleries today tends to be abstract or idea based, and can sometimes be conceptually grandiose. 

I know what you’re thinking, “I am not going out to a stuffy gallery opening to hear some art school snob telling me about how dumping a pile of garbage on the floor is art.”

A good rule of thumb when viewing this type of art is to think of it as the concrete result of an idea, or the final product of a thought process.  For example:  My idea is, “ I think there are too many people starving in the world”.  So my sculpture is dumping a pile of garbage on the floor from a restaurant trashcan. 

That is very direct and extreme, but I think it shows how the overall objective is to trigger a reaction.  The beauty of this is that the viewer (you) have the power to judge whether the pile of garbage is “a piece of art”.  The dilemma is that it kind of becomes art if you don’t think it is… Strange, I know.

Tip #3: What’s the point?  Why should I go to a gallery opening to look at garbage that might not be art? Now I am just confused.

We can go back and forth all day about the validity of conceptual installation art, but at the end of the day, going to an art opening is actually more festive than pretentious!  The attendees come from all backgrounds: artists, collectors, media, CEO’s, local business owners, and even city officials.  Some just happen to be walking past and see a group of people.  Beyond that, there are many Artists who work in many styles, so finding something you like should be easy.  The best part is that they are free, and light hors d’ oeuvres and wine are usually on the menu.

Tip #4- I don’t want to be pressured into buying something.

You should not feel obligated to purchase anything.  Think of it as window-shopping, where you are just browsing, but don’t actually expect to purchase anything. If you do get a chance, try to talk to the artist.  If you don’t know what to ask, here are two questions that should get good responses:  What are your influences? Why did you choose to use *fill in the blank* material?  Personally, I always enjoy the perspective of someone with a different background. 

Please feel free to share your gallery going experiences in the comments section. 

Here is the list of galleries have opening receptions this weekend!

Color of Light - Pastels by Diane Grguras. Opening reception May 15, 7-10 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays. May 15 through June 30. Gallery on 43^rd St., 187 43rd Street, Pittsburgh (Lawrenceville), 412-683-6488, www.galleryon43rdstreet.com.

Fe Turns Five - Art auction & DJ Kelly Carter May 15, Off-the-Wall sale May 16. May 15-16.  Fe Gallery,  4102 Butler St., Pittsburgh (Lawrenceville), 412-860-6028.

Landscapes & Florals - New works by Dr. Leo Goode. Opening reception May 15, 6-9 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays. May 15 through June 13. Bella Arte Gallery, 5880 Ellsworth Ave., Pittsburgh (Shadyside), 412-362-7200, www.bella-arte.com/.

Traces of Living Things - Works by Elise Rugolo & Adrienne Borkowski. Opening reception May 15, 6:30-9 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays. May 15 through May 30. Framery, 4735 Butler Street, Pittsburgh (Lawrenceville), 412-687-2102, www.theframerypgh.com.

For the complete list of other shows, check out the Art gallery/exhibit list on the Pittsburgh City Paper.

Brian Ferrell

www.brianferrelldesigns.com

When I began as a graduate student in at the University of Massachusetts- Dartmouth, one of my Professors said to me, “Ah, it’s good to have some Midwestern blood around here”.   Another student (from Wisconsin) jumped in, “Pittsburgh?  That’s not Midwest, that’s east coast!”.  Usually, when “Pittsburgh” and “coast” are used in the same sentence, it is in this context- I am leaving Pittsburgh to go to the coast.  On the other hand, I have yet to come across the Midwestern amber waves of grain blanketing Southwestern Pennsylvania. 

So, just where and who are we here in this hilly no mans land? Midwest, East Coast, Mid Atlantic?  As a working class, historically industrial city, we have an ethic and outlook similar to that of Cincinnati, St. Louis, Detroit, or Chicago.  However, a trip east down I-70 puts you in Baltimore or DC well before any of those cities.  Even driving into Pittsburgh is atypical.  Hidden in a valley of rivers, Pittsburgh surprises you out of the Ft. Pitt Tunnels, or unveils itself from the Parkway-East like a curtain lifting as the hills part.

Maybe we could consider our region “the bridge”, that seems appropriate enough.  We straddle the working class Midwest, and the forward thinking metropolitan east coast.  We like our football teams tough, and our new construction green, embracing tradition, but accepting change.  Here is a link to a good article describing how Pittsburgh should be a model for other rust belt cities like Cleveland.   

This dichotomy of past and future makes Pittsburgh an interesting case when it comes to the fine arts.  You will find fantastic collections from places such as the Carnegie Museum and the Frick.  Throw in a world-class orchestra, the Pittsburgh Symphony, There is a rich heritage in the arts, and the same time, Galleries such as the Mattress Factory show works by contemporary artists.  Anyone can take classes or workshops at places like the Society for Contemporary Craft in the Strip District.  Calls for artists provide a variety of possibilities.  For example, from www.changemakers.org The Pittsburgh Foundation, The Grable Foundation and Ashoka's Changemakers are looking for bold new ideas from artist(s) working with youth in the Pittsburgh area. They are looking for well-designed, sustainable public art that expresses the voices of youth. Winning ideas can receive up to $25,000 in funding to implement their "Art in Public" (deadline, May 20, 2009).

With all of this going on, one might think Pittsburgh would be swarming with artists.  As a matter of fact, the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh has over 450 artists listed.

Pittsburgh Artists are everywhere!  But please don’t be frightened.

Unlike some of the myths of artists, we do not work in a vacuum, and the hand of god does not divinely channel us.  We work very hard, often for very little.  We need to communicate with other artists and creative individuals, bouncing ideas back and forth to evolve (to see an online version of this: www.crafthaus.ning.com).  We need to be inspired.  That is why many artists congregate in cities, usually the more cosmopolitan ones, which can be tricky (as previously mentioned on the subject of income).  This is how the stories of artists living in warehouse studios come about.  I have known a few people who lived this lifestyle, but for the most part, artists find a cheap place to live, and renovate to have a nice living space.  Gentrification such as this occurs all the time.  It happened recently in the North Loop District in Minneapolis, Jamaica Plain in Boston in the 80’s, and of course Greenwich Village in New York in the 60’s.  Can it happen in Pittsburgh too?  Look no further than places like Lawrenceville, which in the past few years has become a haven for artists.  It even garnered the attention of the New York Times. 

My goal for this blog is to present the many facets of the of the Pittsburgh Arts scene.  I will provide reviews and recommendations, interviews with people who are contributing to the local arts scene, and links for readers like you to be aware, or possibly involved in the arts (whether you consider yourself an artist or not). I will share stories of local artists and entrepreneurs, and hope to offer ideas that might make you look at your surroundings differently.  In fact, you might walk past (or under) art every day.  Various websites list anywhere from 20-80 galleries and museums in the region, and that is just visual arts.  Combine that with music and theatre venues of all types and something is always happening. 

I look forward to sharing this information with you, and hearing your feedback so that we can find the inner groove of Pittsburgh.  

Brian Ferrell

www.brianferrelldesigns.com