The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Announces the Opening of OBSESSIONS, 11/28-1/25

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust announces the opening of Obsessions, on exhibit from November 28 through January 25, 2015, at SPACE. Obsessions will showcase six artists from across the United States exploring the nature of obsession through painting, sculpture, site-specific installation, video and performance. Craft and expression are common elements in this show, with artists drawing inspiration from personal experience, popular culture and studio rituals. An opening reception, featuring a performance by collaborating artist Becky Slemmons, takes place Friday, November 28, 2014, from 6 p.m.-9 p.m.

"I've been thinking about this show idea for a few years, looking for artists that exhibit a certain intensity in their work. The idea of obsession is so common in American culture," shared Tom Sarver, the Pittsburgh-based artist responsible for curating the exhibit. "I wanted to include a mix of people from across the country, artists that I have met and interacted with at various stages of my career."

Participants include Jeremiah Johnson (Williamsport, PA), Jason Lockyer (Los Angeles, CA), Nathan Margoni (Benton Harbor, MI), Mary Ivy Martin (Brooklyn, NY), Becky Slemmons (Pittsburgh, PA) and Laurie Trok (Pittsburgh, PA).

Artist Biographies

Jeremiah Johnson creates work that interweaves personal experience, appropriated popular culture and mythological narrative. A prolific, painter and printmaker, his colorful works serve as a diary of the artist's reactions and adaptations to an ever-changing world. Johnson lives and works in Williamsport, PA.

Jason Lockyer makes video animations that zoom the viewer into the miniature world of bugs. His hand-drawn depictions of insects, with accompanying sounds, express the beautiful and grotesque in parts of the natural world that often go unnoticed. Lockyer's creatures explore collaged habitats of doodles and altered photographs, revealing adventures that range from mundane to fantastical. These journeys often become metaphors for loss, joy and discovery. Lockyer lives and works in Los Angeles, CA.

Nathan Margoni builds oversized sculptures based on an imaginative exploration of human anatomy. His works are constructed of everyday materials including paint, wood, found fabrics and trash, resulting in assemblages that describe the insecurity of corporeal existence. His whimsical creations, including representations of ugly toenails, bad breath, and poor digestion, give humor to the serious ailments, both physical and social, of our time. Margoni lives and works in Benton Harbor, MI.

Mary Ivy Martin's practice is driven by her personal interactions with trees and plants. Intimacy is revealed as collected flora is personified and cared for. Her resulting videos, installations and photographs hint at the symbiotic relationships necessary in a healthy ecosystem. Martin lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.

Becky Slemmons works in the disciplines of drawing, painting, video, performance, fibers, glass and sound. In her work, she searches for truths that are common throughout multiple cultures. For Obsessions, she will be performing a piece titled, Obsessive love. one mark for each of the 9331 days we have been together... and counting. Her performance will begin at the opening reception and continue through the run of the show. Slemmons lives and works in Pittsburgh, PA.

Laurie Trok constructs large-scale installations using cut paper. Her work involves an intense exploration of the act of drawing in relation to the tactile manipulation of materials. Her resulting work transforms drawing into three-dimensional form, revealing a play of light as well as her tedious artistic process. Trok lives and works in Pittsburgh, PA.

SPACE Gallery
SPACE is located at 812 Liberty Avenue. Gallery Hours: Wed & Thurs: 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Fri & Sat: 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sun. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. The gallery is free and open to the public. SPACE is a project of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. For more information about all gallery exhibitions featured in the Cultural District, please visit TrustArts.org.

Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has overseen one of Pittsburgh's most historic transformations: turning a seedy red-light district into a magnet destination for arts lovers, residents, visitors, and business owners. Founded in 1984, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is a non-profit arts organization whose mission is the cultural and economic revitalization of a 14-block arts and entertainment/residential neighborhood called the Cultural District. The District is one of the country's largest land masses "curated" by a single nonprofit arts organization. A major catalytic force in the city, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is a unique model of how public-private partnerships can reinvent a city with authenticity, innovation and creativity. Using the arts as an economic catalyst, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has holistically created a world-renowned Cultural District that is revitalizing the city, improving the regional economy and enhancing Pittsburgh's quality of life. Thanks to the support of foundations, corporations, government agencies and thousands of private citizens, the Cultural Trust stands as a national model of urban redevelopment through the arts. For more information, visit TrustArts.org.

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Photo Courtesy of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust