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Salvage Artist David Calfo Will Turn Junk into Art at Construction Junction Function
September 9, 2011 – Pittsburgh, PA – Lawrenceville salvage artist and master carpenter David Calfo is becoming well known for turning one person’s trash into another’s treasure– and this Saturday he’ll be doing it live in front of an audience at the sold-out Steel City Big Pour main event at Construction Junction. Workers at Construction Junction have been collecting pieces of scrap metal for weeks, which Calfo will transform into one-of-a-kind pieces that will be sold at the end of the show.
“I’m pretty much going into the project blind – I don’t really know how much of what kind of materials I’ll have to work with. To be honest, I’m excited for the challenge,” Calfo said. “Construction Junction is all about conservation and community, and that’s a message that I try to preach through my art. They do great work, and I’m honored they invited me to the Big Pour to show what I can do.”
The Big Pour live event comes on the heels of the Crest Hardware Art Show in Brooklyn, which showcased eight pieces of Calfo’s work during the month-long event. As the only Pittsburgh artist invited to the show, Calfo represented the Steel City with art made entirely from locally salvaged materials. Earlier this summer, Calfo created an interactive piece for the Three Rivers ArtsFest that was a big hit with the crowd. He’s been invited back to both shows next year.
“So much of what people throw away is actually completely usable, it might just be best used to serve a different purpose,” Calfo said. “I’ve turned discarded railroad spikes into gorgeous coffee tables and dancing figurines. It’s amazing what you can come up with when your first thought isn’t to throw the stuff away.”
David Calfo is a salvage artist, fourth generation Hungarian and Pittsburgh native who owns, operates and works out of the DNA Blue Collar Gallery in Lawrenceville. He works almost exclusively with salvaged materials, and is planning to show his art in on the Arbor Aid exhibit in October. Calfo is also an avid Twitter enthusiast, with around two thousand followers and even more sent tweets to his account (@DaveCalfo).
By: Kari DePhillips