Photo courtesy of Jeb Zirato Sunny Litwell is one of the eccentric and colorful performers who will appear in Mat Bevel's "Math and Myth." The show features many different works made from found objects and runs this and next weekend.

Mathematics. Mythology. Mat Bevel.

Prolific local artist Mat Bevel is putting on another eccentric show this and next weekend - this time featuring a mixture of moving pictures, light, sound, poetry and gigantic kinetic contraptions built partly of found objects.

Many new pieces (21 in all) have been built for this show. Titled "Math and Myth," the exhibit is a production of his Surrealistic Pop Science Theater and is housed at his Mat Bevel Institute.

The show features such pieces as a gigantic puppet called "Gigantic Manchine," an enormous floor transport called the "Blood Vessel" and a film depicting the origin of the Mat Bevel Institute as growing out of a football kicked into the ground.

"I know a lot of people that are artists that do things," Bevel said, "and I've really realized, culturally, that I have this great gizmo, mechanical, mathematical side to me."

Bevel attributed his kinetic sculpture focus to his German heritage and family love for art.

"My dad used to design big shipping cranes, so I've always been fascinated with machines," he said. "My stuff is all I do; it's all I've done for 15 years," said Bevel, who then corrected himself: "Oh, that's not true, I have two kids, but I mean, I work at it full-time, I've got almost 400 poems, and some of those are like 15 pages long. So, I (also) have lots of music, and I've performed all of it at some point."

Mat Bevel (real name Ned Schaper) grew up in the small industrial town of Alliance, Ohio, and obtained a degree in agriculture from the University of Wisconsin, spending some time as a swimming coach. He later worked three years on the streets of New York City, doing shows under the name NedNed.

Bevel came to Tucson to study printmaking at UA, and it was in those studies that he found a desire to create a show of semi-autobiographical origin, under the name of Mat Bevel.

The April 27 performance of "Math and Myth" features a special stop by the "On the Road Beat Fest," a nationally touring beat poetry festival in the vein of the literature of famed beat writers such as Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg.

Performing poets will read a short excerpt from a selected passage from a beat work and then read their own poetry pieces.

The performance will occur shortly after Mat Bevel's show, and Santa Fe poet Gary Mex Glazner, editor of the book "Poetry Slam: the Competitive Art of Performance Poetry," will be the master of ceremonies. Glazner will also perform with his percussion jazz trio, Vibes, providing musical accompaniment throughout the show.

Originally, the "On the Road Beat Fest" was not scheduled to make a Tucson appearance, but Glazner's respect for Bevel's work changed all that.

"He's come back and filmed me when he was here, you know, shot some video of me last year," Bevel said. "He really likes my stuff; he likes props."

"Math and Myth" is showing at the Mat Bevel Institute, 530 N. Stone Ave., Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and again April 26, 27 and 28. Admission is $5. Call 622-0192 for more information.