Danny Saathoff: The Mechanical Alchemist

In the parlance of the art world, which seems to put a premium on stuffiness, Danny Saathoff's new show, "The Mechanical Alchemist," is a collection of "interactive assemblages." But don't let the terms fool you; the art is very anti-stuffy. You can think of the pieces as artistic Bop-Its. Remember Bop-Its? Those semi-annoying and sort of addictive electronic game things kids had in the late '90s that commanded the user to "pull it!" or "twist it!"? Or for those of you who predate the age of electronic toys, Saathoff's works are like visually striking busy boxes. They allow the curious viewer the chance to pull and spin and crank various parts of the pieces to understand how things are built and work. Saathoff made his assemblages out of layer upon layer of found objects. His projects integrate wheels, darts, balls, and blocks into pieces that free viewers from the shackles of proper art-gallery behavior and invite, nay, demand to be touched and engaged physically. Saathoff is the hero of hands-on art lovers.

Pictured: Danny Saathoff, Start to Finish, 2008

Nov. 8-Jan. 11, 2008