Philadelphia Sculptors Present
PS Members Show at Philadelphia's City Hall, 2nd Floor
October 8 – December 7, 2018
Artists: Ellen Benson, Robert Bickey, Jason Brenner, t.a. hahn, Melissa Joseph, Joanne Karpowitz, Leslie Kaufman, Carole Loeffler, Diane Marimow, Constance McBride, Elizabeth Miller McCue, Christine McDonald, Joan Menapace, Chelsea Nader, Diane Pepe, Marco Bras Rodrigues, Phillip Scarpone, Georgette Veeder, Charles Welles, & Richard Weiner
Haunting black ceramic faces, tiny poignant doll jackets, and a black-clad crone stare down from behind their glass cases at visitors who venture up to City Hall’s 2nd floor. These artworks represent just some of the diverse and imaginative ways in which sculptors respond to the issues and concerns of our time. Twenty PS members were chosen by Amie Potsic, CEO & Principal Curator of Amie Potsic Art Advisory, LLC, to represent the state of three dimensional art in Philadelphia today.
The selected works provide a glimpse into vastly different ways in which artists work and perceive the world around them. Both abstraction and figuration make their appearances, using diverse media and offering wide-ranging viewpoints. Abstract sculptures of marble, wood, ceramics and steel pay homage to traditional media, while other abstract sculptures made of fiber, Plexiglas, and fabric reveal how sculptors continue to explore new uses for materials.
Some artists use the same images to convey completely different messages. For example, soft pillows made of printed fabric are intimate and welcoming, while hard pillows of steel support plastic soldiers shooting guns. Materials normally associated with functional objects, packing materials, and mass production, take on new identities in the hands of artist. Cast iron is molded, cardboard is glued and shaped, and plastic is printed, creating new vocabularies and forms of expression. Located in a busy section of City Hall, Philadelphia Sculptors Present provides opportunities for artists to show their work, and visitors to get a glimpse into the minds and processes of artists working in three dimensions.
The exhibition was on view during the International Sculpture Center Conference, taking place from October 25 – 28, 2018.