community art – Page 5

During the Coronavirus pandemic, Art Spiel is reaching out to artists to learn how they are coping.

*Tom Sarver with paintings from his 2019 series. Opening of Pretty Ugly at James Gallery, Pittsburgh.*

Tom Sarver uses an array of approaches, including puppetry, events and site-specific installation to explore social issues and social interactions. His work is often inspired by life in Pittsburgh, where he lives and works. He has been featured in several projects at the Mattress Factory, including an installation in a row house that he occupied for two years. His work in puppetry was featured in Paulina Olowska’s installation at the 2013 Carnegie International. His Art Olympics event series featured live-action art making and community interaction at venues throughout Pittsburgh. He is currently working on a drawing series documenting Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods.

Opening night at ArtHelix, with partial view of Meltdown by Kurt Steger; photo courtesy of Vincent Romaniello

Suspended murky waterdrops on the verge of dripping from an icicle onto a sheet of paper prove to be almost hypnotic in Kurt Steger’s interactive project at ArtHelix. Utilizing elegant wooden contraptions made of a rotating large-scale low wooden table, a transportable tall crane-like sculpture, and a few low benches, Steger’s participatory performance evokes a genuine urge to behold the genesis of a fresh mark, from the first drip to the final circular tracing. The resulting drip drawings hang on the walls, mostly depicting circular forms that range from dark sepias to vibrant yellows and rusty oranges. Continue reading “A Genuine Urge to Behold: ‘Meltdown’ by Kurt Steger”