Keny Marshall’s “Apophenia” at SPACE Gallery in Pittsburgh, PA
I’ve been a fan of Keny Marshall’s work for quite a while. It’s rigorous work that resurrects discarded industrial materials through interactivity and digital engines. It’s clear that he has an aesthetic love for metal, rust, and 19th century constructions which gives him an ample pool of inexpensive materials to rework into captivating mechanized installations.
His current exhibition “Apophenia” at SPACE Gallery (812 Liberty Ave., Downtown Pittsburgh) encompasses a cacophony of metal pipes, brass horns, old television monitors, breathing bellows, surveillance cameras and a couple of small fish. At the heart of this industrial size acoustic installation are the two puffer fish in a large round glass bowl. The fish are monitored by a couple single channel surveillance cameras that feed two televisions. Taped onto the televisions are photo cells that capture the movement of the fish and then trigger motors that actuate the bellows and cause horns to be heard throughout the installation.
The work clearly reminds me of Tim Hawkinson’s installations, but with a very different aesthetic - that of a 19th century electro-acoustic technology lab. It’s exciting to see this sort of work in a society driven by increasingly miniaturized, slick, wireless entertainment gadgetry. Tinguely would have a blast. “Apophenia” continues through Dec. 31. SPACE Gallery, 812 Liberty Ave., Downtown. 412-325-7723. Photos by Ryan Sigesmund
December 22nd, 2006 at 8:02 am
How can I see (and hear) a video?
Thank you
December 22nd, 2006 at 9:07 am
Keny Marshall may be contacted at - kenymarshall@gmail.com
Hopefully will have video to post from the installation before long.
December 22nd, 2006 at 11:54 am
Video is being shot and edited as we speak.
So it should be up just after the holiday.
Thanks for the interest.
December 22nd, 2006 at 1:24 pm
[…] Images by Ryan Sigesmund. More information and images in Structural Patterns, Digging Pitt and Pittsburg City Paper. […]
December 26th, 2006 at 9:10 am
[…] Structural Patterns » Blog Archive » Keny Marshall’s “Apophenia” at SPACE Gallery in Pittsburgh, PA fish in a video-monitored glass bowl. their movements activate bellows connected to brass instruments. (tags: art installation music fish) […]
December 27th, 2006 at 6:33 pm
correction to photo credit:
Images by Ryan Sigesmund
Pittsburgh, PA
if you need any photography…he’s the man!
just shot video tonight…editing soon
February 22nd, 2007 at 5:34 am
[…] Close to of off topic but a nice installation of Kenny Marshall. […]
April 4th, 2007 at 9:19 pm
Looks awesome. Although, and maybe I’m a jerk for saying it, that schtick with the fish is was kind of done already by Paul Dimarinis in a piece called “The Edison Effect”. See here http://www.well.com/~demarini/exhibitions.htm. Regardless, it looks like a great show. Wish I could have seen it.
April 14th, 2007 at 4:02 pm
The inpsiring attitude of Keny’s work and nature has stayed in the forefront of my mind in creative thinking for years.