COLOSSAL FIGURES REMIX IDEAS ON VULNERABILITY AND STRENGTHSCC Showcases Elisabeth Higgins O’Connor in BRIDGE ExhibitionPITTSBURGH, PA—November 10, 2014— Made from a mash-up oftwo by fours and discarded bedclothes, blankets, couch cushions, knitAfghans, and other repurposed materials, Elisabeth Higgins O’Connor’smassive creatures stop visitors in their tracks. A solo exhibition of thesedistinct figures, part of the Society for Contemporary Craft’s biennialBridge Exhibition Series, is presented in concert with a feature ofsculptural ceramics by artist Jason Walker and an exhibit of surrealjewelry—made from remnants of antiques, crustaceans, teeth, and more—by internationally renown metalsmith, Keith Lo Bue. These three soloexhibitions highlight the high quality craft being produced bycontemporary artists today. The Bridge Exhibition Series opens with apublic reception on Friday, January 23, from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. andcontinues through August 22, 2015.

Elisabeth Higgins O’Connor’s colossal beasts, standing upwards of eightfeet tall, confront the viewer with their force remixing conventional ideason vulnerability and strength. O’Connor builds her sculptures by cutting,re-sewing, wrapping, and tying layers upon layers of fabric and cardboardonto wooden armatures. As the figures amble forward, parading throughthe gallery, their postures suggest heaviness and fatigue, traits oftenFever to Tell, 2014, Torn and cut bed sheets, cut blankets, found cardboard,wood, paper, paint, glue, drywall screws, wood 7 1/2' x 9 1/2' x 6 1/2'Photo: John Wilson White	  present in our own human condition. On closer examination, the artist’suse of domestic materials becomes apparent. The discarded afghans and pillow cases that have been given new life encourageviewers to reflect on their own discarded past, and the nostalgia of objects come and gone. The artist readily reveals theirburdens by purposely exposing the “crutches” (parts of the interior wooden frames) that keep them upright and by leaving somecreatures without limbs or giving others heads that are almost too big to support.

The titles of works like Wanna Do Right But Not Right Now and Fever to Tell, again allude to our basic human instincts anddesires. The layers of these anthropomorphic creatures can be seen unraveling – exposing frailty and flaw in contrast to theirinherent strength. The bright, candy colored pallete and use of recycled materials spark notions of domesticity and matriality,further pushing the tension between endearing and endangering. Of these oversized, overburdened figures O’Connor comments,“I want the struggle to stand upright to be easily perceived; I want the fatigue, vulnerability and weakness to be present, but also-Over-Page 2 of 2 BRIDGE 13-O’CONNORa certain resourcefulness...all the realities of our lives— war, political and economical headlines, the struggles that happen outon the streets… all these topics mash up with my interest in posture, gesture, and the rendering of expressions.”O’Connor is a native of Calif., and currently resides in Sacremento. She holds an M.F.A. from the Univeristy of California,Davis, and a B.F.A. in Ceramic Art from California State University, Long Beach, where she was largely influenced by her timeworking with Professor Tony Marsh. O’Connor has held academic apointments at the University of Washington, Seattle, andSacremento City College, and participated in residencies at various national institutions including the Bemis Center forContemporary Art, Omaha, Nebr., and The John Michael Kohler Art Center, Arts/Indusrstry Program, Kohler, Wisc.

To complement the Bridge 13 Exhibition Series, educational programs are planned. In a visiting artist weekend workshop,Sculptural Heads: Patched, Fastened and Cobbled Together, Saturday and Sunday March 13 – 15, 2015 students can learn tobuild an expressive sculptural head using a foundation of found cardboard, paint and re-used fabric. An artist talk is planned forFriday, March 13, at 5:30 p.m. in SCC’s gallery. For more information, visit www.contemporarycraft.org for workshop detailsand registration.

An exhibition brochure documenting O’Connor’s solo show includes biographical information, photo-documentation and anessay titled Meticulous Turmoil, written by Doug Jeck. Jeck is ceramic artist living in Seattle, Wash. He is currently chair of3D4M: Ceramics+ Sculpture+Glass at the University of Washington. Jeck has received awards and grants from the IllinoisArts Council, National Endowment for the Arts Visual Arts Fellowships, the Virginia A. Groot Foundation, and an NEA travelgrant to the La Napoule Foundation in France. His work is included in numerous private and public collections including TheLos Angeles County Museum and The Smithsonian Renwick Gallery of American Art.

Bridge 13: Keith Lo Bue, Elisabeth Higgins O’Connor, Jason Walker is made possible by the Allegheny Regional AssetDistrict, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, the Elizabeth R. Raphael Fund of The Pittsburgh Foundation, Ted Rowland,BNSF Foundation, Ferrin Contemporary, and other generous donors.
Presenting contemporary art in craft media by regional, national and international artists since 1971, the Society forContemporary Craft offers cutting edge exhibitions focusing on multicultural diversity and non-mainstream art, as well as arange of classes, community outreach programs and a retail store. SCC is located at 2100 Smallman Street in the Strip Districtof Pittsburgh, PA. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Exhibitions and informal, hands-on art activities inthe Drop-In Studio are always free to the public. For more information, visit www.contemporarycraft.org or call 412.261.7003.
###LinksKeith Lo Bue: lobue-art.comJason Walker: jasonwalkerceramics.comElisabeth Higgins O’Connor: elisabethhigginsoconnor.netFerrin Contemporary: ferrincontemporary.comPlease see complete press kit for additional information on programming and events, exhibition technology, anddownloadable high-resolution images.