Jacob Koestler ,Window, Rochester, NY, photograph, 2010.
Jacob Koestler lives in Johnstown, PA. near Pittsburgh where he is a member of a shared art space called 709 Railroad Street, his photographs are included in a group show at the Center for Emerging Visual Artists, his second time showing in Philly. Three years ago Koestler’s work was included in the first collabo with Pittsburgh Center for the Arts in the space on Rittenhouse Square. In Selection From Cluster, the photographer was invited by Amie Potsic to include the group of photos based on a revenge dream narrative where a rich boy who wants to be a rock star inherits the perfect secluded mansion in Rochester, NY, equipped with all required to live the life of the privileged, surrounded by collaborators, a dream home for him in contrast to the suburban dream home his own father is building for himself. The series is like a metaphor for art killing the father, each generation must claim their own turf.
Michael Sherwin, True North, pigment prints mounted to steel. The series of prints explore fuzzy animism & techno-geek virtuosity – mounting the prints on steel is very cool, calculated & hard yet amorphous and squirmy like finding ancient artifacts from Mars.
The steel draws lines of shadows in the alcove @ CFEVA Gallery, as the airy shape slowly rotated the play of light & dark created a living drawing. DoN observed people dreamily staring, imagining how they could clear out their living room to make space for Dee Briggs sculpture – the artists website is cool, too. CFEVA @ 15th & Locust Sts.
Nayda Collazo-Llorens, Test 32, gesso, ink & pigmented marker on canvas. The large drawing is engrossing like looking at a Chuck Close. Little blobby shapes coalesce and entwine, connecting dots in the brain, melding mind maps spread out across the canvas like an alien landscape, coordinates marks each other trying to signal and cooperate with all elements to capture your attention. DoN loves marker art.
Selection From Cluster is a unique opportunity to view art from PA’s other big city – Jacob Koestler described to DoN a vibrant downtown art scene/district in Pittsburgh with a fun First Friday. Thanks to CFEVA for opening the lines of communication with artists across PA.