This evening I went to Carl Pisaturo’s Area 2281. It is in the Mission, and my morning tour guide’s description of it being a rough area that artists were moving into definitely fit my experience — I think every door and window between the BART and the gallery had bars. However, the gallery was quite neat, appearing like a mad scientist’s laboratory. There were humanoid robots dancing (at least from the waist up), the apparent offspring of a turntable and an octopus, and a variety of spinning, lighted contraptions. I especially liked the stereoscopic image of a welder working, causing a bloom of sparks to fly out and fall to the floor. I believe the new piece was something like a fish that had rippling legs like a centipede and was flying in circles overhead. The location and attendees also gave the place the atmosphere of a house party. That was probably nice for others, but my not knowing anybody or anything about “the scene” make it feel a bit like I had just crashed a party in someone’s basement. Still, it was neat to these pretty inventions that are essentially unlike anything else I’ve seen.