Kyle & Kelly Phelps | Race, Class, and the Blue Collar

VIRTUAL ARTIST TALK

Kyle and Kelly Phelps present their Artist Talk “Race, Class, and the Blue Collar,” a journey that started for them in the industrial backdrop of Indiana.

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*This Virtual Event was originally aired Monday, September 21, 2020, 7pm Eastern Time via Zoom.

Kyle and Kelly Phelps

The twin brothers use their exposure to the blue collar working class that surrounded them growing up as inspiration for their joint sculptural work. Detailed research informs their creative decisions and direction of the work. The sculptures they make are evocative of the people, trades and industries that are part of the story of the Rust Belt, and of the daily struggles of the communities within. Clay and found objects find their home together in the Phelps brothers work, creating expressive narratives that are once compelling and heroic in their elevation of the lives of everyday people. The relationships between the workers and the jobs they do tell stories that cover the struggles of race, class and identity in the American MidWest.