Congratulations to
Tim Kaulen (previously mentioned
here and
here) for the
Pittsburgh Center for the Arts' "Artist of the Year" Award! Tonight, at the
PCA, along with the
previously mentioned Dylan Vitone's exhibit, is
Kaulen's exhibit of scrap-metal-turned-art pieces, which are so awesome!
There's a great article at the
Post-GazetteNOW that says better than what I could say about Tim Kaulen's "Artist of the Year" award granted by the
PCA.
PGN says:
Kaulen is the Pittsburgh Center for the Art's 2009 Artist of the Year and the sculptures will be installed on the grounds of the big yellow Shadyside building in time for the exhibition's Friday opening.
"I know that I couldn't produce this kind of work anywhere else," Kaulen says, as he moves about the cavernous abandoned industrial space he's using as a studio, side-stepping the accumulated refuse of construction projects and old buildings that he will in time transform into something magical.
In this case, that would be "one tin duck," "one toy giraffe," and a rearing steed complete with cowboy, "iron horseman."
They "pay homage to classic American tin and wooden toys from the turn of the century," Kaulen says.
The work space is appropriate for Kaulen, who earned his artistic chops as a co-founder of the Industrial Arts Co-Op, a then-underground group that created artworks in the rusting remnant buildings of the region's once fire-breathing mills and factories.
Born in Greenville, Mercer County, the 43-year-old Polish Hill resident studied at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh with stellar innovators Henry Koerner, the late painter, and earth artist Angelo Ciotti. Kaulen says they inspired him to work outside the conventions of commercial art.
For Kaulen, the process of creating a piece, including the involvement of others, is as significant as the completed work, and through the years he's developed a network that he can tap into. "It's all about our local community, that supports itself, and their contributions allow this type of unconventional work to be successful."
Kaulen says all his materials, for example, were donated by various local scrap yards and junk yards. The Massaro Corp., a Pittsburgh construction company, and Steffan Industries, a heavy equipment company that provided the crane to relocate the sculptures, made "substantial gifts," Kaulen says, probably amounting to $8,000 if he had paid for it out of pocket.
P.J. Dick Inc. and Trumbull Corp. "gifted all the bigger material, what I would call substructure materials -- stuff they use in big construction projects to brace the earth back." Tube City, "a massive scrap yard in West Mifflin, gave all the wheels," including the manhole covers for the cowboy and forklift wheels on the giraffe.
Read on...The
Post-GazetteNOW has also
shot and uploaded a great video of Tim Kaulen explaining some of his work to give you a bit background on his work. This just gets me so stoked for tonight's exhibition by both
Tim and
Dylan! These guys are great to have in our arts community and I'm happy they are getting the hard-earned recognition they deserve!
Click on the image above to see the video!Link to facebook event
(Photos above by Bill Wade for Post-GazetteNOW)
Cory Rockwood has an opening this Friday, October 2nd, at Gallerie Chiz (5831 Ellsworth Ave)! The local string duet Cello Cello will be performing at the opening with complimentary food and drinks to be had all around! 
Link to facebook event
