PHANTASMAGORIA

With its exposed plumbing, brick walls, and industrial architecture, The Power Station doesn't look like a typical art gallery. It doesn't behave like one either. Since its opening in 2011, the nonprofit and its founder Alden Pinnell have championed experimentation in the Dallas art scene, creating a space for boundary-breaking art like sculptural exhibitions, experiential displays, and (most recently) our Fall editorial shoot. On location, we had a moment with Pinnell.

The gallery's name is, quite literally, a nod to the building's past life. Tell us a little about its history.
The building dates back to 1917 and was originally a power substation for the Dallas Power & Light Company. After being decommissioned, it sat empty for decades until it was converted into living spaces in the late '90s. I lived there until I was able to acquire the entire building in 2006. In 2011, we opened our first show with artist Oscar Tuazon.

What's one of your recent favorite exhibitions?
That's a difficult question to answer since each project is special in its own way. I particularly liked working with Calvin Marcus. It was the perfect pairing of an institution open to anything and an artist willing and capable to take full advantage of the opportunity. Calvin worked for months creating thousands of non-functional pink clay plumbing pipes that he dispersed over the floor of The Power Station—an insane undertaking with an incredible effect. The pipes had a wonderful relationship to the building's exposed plumbing. Calvin also showed a beautiful series of bronze sculptures on the second floor. It was a lot of fun working with such a creative, hardworking, and exceptional artist.