Philadelphia Area New Media Association presented a primer on new web applications which was totally fascinating, fast-paced and intelligently presented, including talks by Kelani Nicholeof M, Johnnie Billota of Indy Hall and Nick Floro of Sealworks Interactive Studios. DoN learned so much cool stuff about the web, social networking, design and working with clients – PANMA is a wonderful resource for artists, designers, coders, videographers, photographers – if you are one of the afore mentioned you should join PANMA, it’s free, fun and informative. The presentation took place in the Buckminster Fuller room with a portrait of Bucky that seems to stare at you wherever you are in the room as well as his Dymaxion map of the world – very cool. Do you know what “FOAF” or “OWL” means? DoN does now.
Saturday, Shoshka and DoN visited the Center for Emerging Visual ArtistsShow House at 1634 South 13th Street, the former home and studio of artistScott Pellnat. The townhouse is filled with art by CFEVA artists including Anne Canfield, Katie Murken, Julia Blaukopf,Kara Rennert,Caleb Nussear, Darla Jackson, Jennifer Chapman,Serena Perrone and of course Scott Pellnat‘s wonderfully wacky constructions. Pellnat is an accomplished woodworker and avid dumpster diver creating mechanical constructs out of marquetry of colored pencils, found objects and wood, there’s even a hidden room behind bookshelves which open by pulling on a book ala the Addams Family revealing robotic creatures pulling ropes and strings producing a dramatic diorama.
Looking up into the turret Pellnat built on the roof.
Looking down from the turret into the house – the walls are covered in colored pencil marquetry and the floors are spray painted through lace and stencils.
The top floor is filled with a knitted installation with tendrils swooping through the room like some kind of giant alien brain cell. The site specific piece was created by Katie Murken.
Scott Pellnat in his “secret studio”.
As if the room isn’t creepy enough, there’s a gravity distortion which turns the room sideways!?!
Close up shot of Scott Pellnat‘s intricate woodwork.
Anne Canfield‘s “Swim Team: Snippets from Yuki’s Memory Book“.
Serena Perrone‘s “Dreaming of Flying Fish“, oil and charcoal on panel, diptych.
Scott Pellnat’s Grandfather Clock – one must crank the handle on the side to raise the clock but the cranker can’t see the clock!?!
Stag by Jake Kehs @ CFEVA Show House. (Kehs is not a CFEVA artist, his work is part of Pellnat’s collection including an amazing wolf sculpture on the first floor ready to pounce from a cardboard mountain.)
Silver point drawings by Caleb Nussear called “#3XUL Diminished“.
CFEVA keeps finding new venues and interesting events to promote Philly’s fine artists including the upcoming Philadelphia Open Studio Tours this October. DoN will keep you POSTed.
DoN posted a 30 second video on YouTube of the Super Mario Brothers music which is enchanting and magical; using the score from the video game soundtrack and sound effects from character/avatar interaction with puzzle elements in the game, the music is post-post-post modern. The video is just part of the Golden Calf exhibit in the fabulously dark installation of paintings, photography and sculpture about decay, destruction, nausea and mysticism. DoN found the art to be emotionally raw and psychologically dismal with elements of claustrophobia, isolation and estrangement; Hagit Barkai’s “Vomitous” is awesomely powerful, the paintings are Bacon-like in their facility, the subject charged with feelings of fear, powerlessness and despair, the paint application is expert. The artists of Golden Calfare establishing New Philadelphia as the art center of the region, unafraid to tackle the more difficult apects of modern life.
Brian Billingsley’s “Homage to Me” video and “Untitled (Saturn Devours His Son)” oil on canvas in the Golden Calf Show at Crane Art Center.
Weird little blobby things were all over the place.
