Monsters Invade New Pittsburgh Art Studio

PITTSBURGH, PA — A vacant Greenfield storefront needed an occupant. Matt Buchholz needed a studio near his home where he could work on his art projects, a space large enough to house all of the various monsters causing destruction in his mind.

"I thought (the storefront) was too good to pass up," said Bucholz of the recently opened Alternate Histories on Greenfield Avenue. "So I took it."

The studio is where he concocts his creations. Once a week he opens it to the public for anyone who wants to buy his works. Beginning Saturday, it also will be the site of a monthly block party featuring local artists, live music and a food truck.

Buchholz's oeuvre is original, and bears the influence of the late Western Pennsylvania film director George Romero of "The Night of the Living Dead" fame.

"What I started doing was to take historic photos maps and images that I had been getting and adding things that shouldn't have been there - giant monsters, big tentacles, zombies, aliens and whatnot," Buechholz told Patch. "I began creating these sort of visual tapestries based on all of these historic items. I started creating alternate histories."

His first foray into those creations?

"My work began with a show at Wildcard in 2010, a great store in Lawrenceville where I had the inspiration to photoshop a gigantic monster into an old engraving of Pittsburgh," he said. "Since then, then I've expanded with different cities, holiday and greeting cards, original works and more, all taking historic images and adding in something from a pop culture sci-fi background."

Among his Pittsburgh creations:

• A "Pittsburgh, Allegheny, & Birmingham Zombies" print showing hordes of hungry zombies marching towards Downtown Pittsburgh, circa 1800s, looking for a bite to eat.

• A "Pittsburgh & Allegheny International Spaceport" print showing an interstellar rocket looking down on a similar scene of Downtown in the 1800s.

• A set of Pittsburgh "Trilogy of Terror Greeting Cards"containing the Yinzilla monster, an "It Came from Pittsburgh," fake movie poster and a Patch correspondent's favorite: an "Attack of Andrew Carnegie" card showing a gigantic version of the industrialist and philanthropist tearing down buildings while people flee in terror.

These items and more will be available at the studio Saturday, when the first of the new six-month series designed to showcase local art, food, music and drinks will occur at the building and in an adjoining empty lot.

The event will occur from 3 p.m.-7 p.m. On hand will be Necromancer Brewing; the La Palapa Mexican food truck and Ex Libris Fibers, which features hand-dyed yarn from Greenfield artist Rita Johnson. Music will be provided by disc jockey EZ Lou, formerly of the Upstage in Oakland and well-known for DJing many local '80s nights around town.

Such monthly events should help Buchholz's studio establish a foothold in Greenfield. But he says he's also interested in bringing a spark to a section of the neighborhood that seldom sees street parties on its main drag.

"I’m thrilled to be able to support my community and work with a bunch of other small businesses for these events," he said.