Pittsburgh Weekend Art Events: 7/24-25/09.

We're really smack-dab in the middle of Summer now. Embrace the opportunity to get out and about while the gettin's good. Here are a few ideas for your weekend plans...

Friday:

Take a trip to Fun Land: The Art of Pinball! The Warhol Museum is hosting a reception (7-10PM, free admission) for the launch of two pinball machines designed and created by local artists Mike Budai and Brian Holderman. The shindig is sponsored by art-collective Unicorn Mountain and the Professional Amateur Pinball Association (PAPA). I've seen these functional art pieces in promo shots, and I'm confident that they'll be absolutely stunning in person. You may have to wait in line a long time to play them, but there will also be twelve more vintage games to stick your quarters in. See what the kids of today are missing.

Guest curator Katherine Talcott has put together the 13th Gestures Show over at the Mattress Factory (1414 Monterey St., 7:30-9:30, $10). Included within is John Riegert's Sublet, a "gallery-within-a-gallery". These exhibitions are always worth seeing, if only to have a look at the individual aesthetic of a single art-world personality. I've seen some I've liked better than others, but they are invariably interesting (and very crowded... so get there early if you want to take some time with the work).

And if you have the time to stroll by Future Tenant starting on Friday, you can see a window installation called Planet Dragulon! by Scott Andrew and Michael McParlane. If you want to know what it's all about, there will be an artist Q & A from 9-10PM.

Saturday

All you really need to know is that Slim Cessna's Auto Club is playing at the 31st St Pub. Although Cessna himself has called the 'Burgh his home for more than five years, the rest of the band lives in Denver, and so their appearances in town are limited to 1-2 events annually. If you haven't yet had the honor to attend a performance of this Tent Revivalist stream of energy, spirit, and sound- by all means show up around 10PM and prepared to be altered forever. You may not get the chance to be told again.

Another New Camera.

Last weekend was especially entertaining for me. The work at the galleries at Unblurred was generally competent and interesting. There were a lot of people out having fun. Saturday's show at La Vie was a predictable success, and featured its routinely stimulating mix of people enjoying the occasion. I also got a hold of the new CD by my favorite band- Slim Cessna's Auto Club. After the first couple of listens, it has proven its worth and earned the right to sit alongside the previous masterpieces of the band. Even Baby E. seemed to get a kick out of it. I got a package of extracurricular work completed early, and thus was free to enjoy the delights of spare time. To cap it off, the Flyers beat the Penguins. Although I shouldn't care at all, it makes going back to the workplace easier for me when that happens.

But the best thing that happened goes deeper than all of the rest. To understand why it so meaningful, an explanation of my recent experiences is necessary. For the last ten (or so) months, I have felt incredibly dissatisfied with my photographic output. Fortunately I have been able to concentrate on other outlets, because at some inarticulable level I need to be happy about my artistic processes in order to be satisfied with life. I've also built a certain set of expectations among local galleries about having quality work to show. I do have an extensive backlog of stuff that I feel is worthy of exhibition, and I could have continued my creative drought while still mounting some decent shows. I had a few productive years in a row, and there's a lot that will be 'new' to people who have followed my progression.

The reasons for my dissatisfaction are numerous, but the most obvious problem is that I haven't been shooting much over the past year. Primarily this is the result of having purchased a new camera. In the beginning of last summer, I went to Ritz and picked up a Canon Rebel XTi DSLR. By the time I got out of the store I had spent something like $1800 for the package. I did so impulsively because i had been agonizing over the direction I should take. I hang out with several folks who are obsessed with the technical aspects of photography. Time and time again, I was told that I need to upgrade. I had presumably exhausted the capabilities of my Canon G6. Now it was time to "get serious". So against my reservations, I finally took the plunge. Now I had a small backpack full of gear, waiting to be used.

Unfortunately the size of this camera and its accessories ended up inhibiting my production. If I wanted to shoot something, I had to plan ahead. The equipment was way too expensive to simply leave in my car all of the time. So if I decided I might find something worthwhile, I would have to hump that damn backpack around. Then when I spotted a likely target- I had to pause, take the bag from my back, unzip it, put on the appropriate lens, and then get into a solid shooting position. By the time I was ready, all of the spontaneity and intuitive aspects of the situation had dissipated. The pictures mostly came out looking uninspired and overly conventional. I was almost entirely confined to 'documentation', and even then my subject had to be pretty inert. It removed most of the joy from the activity.

For months I've been considering grabbing a point-and-shoot that I can stick in my pocket and carry around with me conveniently. After my son was born, my Dad came to visit and brought his new G9 with him. I tested it out briefly, and liked it a lot. I resolved quickly to continue my loyalty to the Canon G-series (my first and second cameras were the G5 and the G6). I put off its purchase for weeks, until my G6 gave up the ghost permanently. Then there was no reason to hesitate. I'm incredibly happy I took the plunge. The first two days I used it, I took hundreds of photos. I feel that I got more show-worthy images over this past weekend than in the previous year. When something intrigued me, I simply grabbed the G9 and went to work. And once it was out, I began to play with its features (many of which are absent in the XTi). There's a certain high that comes with feeling good about making art. I had come to expect it fairly regularly. After a long absence, it's now back.

How to spend a pre-holiday Friday night in Pittsburgh.

As one might expect, happenings around town this weekend are limited by the looming holiday. I guess it is assumed that most people will be expending all their energy and money on gift shopping. While I believe that's a fair assumption, it doesn't take into account the sizable minority of the population who have little or no inclination to observe Christmas. Likewise there are a number of folks looking to spend their time in non-traditional ways- such as going out to an art opening and/or seeing a show. Despite the fact that spending time with family is obligatory (for many of us), we should be forgiven for wanting a break from them. Before you write off the coming days as an opportunity to stay in and get drunk by yourself, allow me to make a couple of suggestions for tomorrow evening.

Bob Ziller and August Rolin will host an opening reception for their work at The Beehive on Friday night, from 6-9PM. Ziller has been curating the series of storefronts along Carson Street that make up this coffeehouse for as long as most of us can remember. As a result many artists have gotten their starts exhibiting on Beehive walls. Once in awhile Bob will book an already-established artist who isn't necessarily obsessed with selling his/her work. Although patrons have always been able to purchase artwork from the Hive, many who have shown there see it simply as an opportunity for greater exposure. Perhaps you have a series of pieces that doesn't jive with mainstream commercial intentions. Or maybe you just don't want the pressure of thinking about selling your art as "product". The Beehive is a niche that allows you to primarily focus on presentation and free expression. There's no cost to hang your stuff, and thousands of people will end up seeing it. Bob takes a loose approach to curating the shop, so don't let fears of rejection stop you. If you are looking to bring your work out into the public eye- get in touch with him. I know that now is a great time to get in on the action.

Anyway, Ziller has grabbed the chance to roll out some of his own work. I don't know what he's planning to exhibit, but chances are that it will be thought-provoking and contain a hearty dose of ironic humor. He's never been afraid of taking risks, and he doesn't get hung up in adhering to any particular style or form. Ziller makes conceptual art for the common man... not just for those with an MFA. Meanwhile, August Rolin's work is immediately identifiable as his own. His drawings are illustrative fantasy works depicting all manner of strange, humanoid, mythical beasts. They are vaguely reminiscent of Japanese calligraphy painting, but at the same time they create a visual lexicon that is personally idiosyncratic. Stop in and meet these accomplished creators, and let them know how much you appreciate the venue.

After you are done with the South Side (and given that weekend evenings get extremely irritating in that neighborhood... it shouldn't be an all-nighter), make your way over to the Brillo Box on Penn Avenue (Lawrenceville/Bloomfield). The proprietors have been kind enough to offer up a special treat tomorrow night. Slim Cessna (of Auto Club fame) will be performing with his son George. If you haven't seen Cessna's solo show- you should know that it encapsulates a bit of the magic that you've come to expect from the full band, but has an intimacy that you really can't get among an amped-up crowd of revivalists. It's a bit quieter and a mite slower, and that means you've got a better chance of digesting his message. Some have made the mistake of assuming that Cessna is merely a Christian rock act. In some ways, that couldn't be further from the truth. Not only is the idea reductionist, but also extremely narrow-minded. Still, the only way you are going to know the truth is to see him in person.

So come out an see what is on offer tomorrow. The Anonymous Schizoids and Corn Pone open up for Slim Cessna (and son!), and it all starts at 10 PM for just $5.