Piecing it Together
An exploration of Philadelphia through art, Piecing it Together explores two distinct areas of Philadelphia through assemblage. The Wissahickon Valley Park and Kensington District share a similar history: both are ancestral homes of the indigenous tribe, the Lenni Lenape, and both were part of the 18th- and 19th-century industrial boom, with mills and manufacturing dominating. What sets them apart is how these areas fared after deindustrialization.
The Wissahickon Valley Park was acquired by the city to protect the city's drinking water, eventually transforming it into a protected, forested natural landmark. While much of the industrial past was torn down, remnants of the structures remain. Through Joseph Opshinsky’s detailed cut-paper collages, he captures the trails along the valley, the reclamation of nature, and the scars of its industrial past. Beginning with traditional sketches, Opshinsky’s use of vibrant papers brings the idyllic scenes of the Wissahickon trails to life.
The Kensington District, once known as the “Workshop of the World”, took a different path in the mid-20th century, as manufacturing went overseas, leading to job losses and suburban flight. The area was left with abandoned factories and scattered buildings. Through the rubble of his neighborhood, Michael Morgan unearthed the shards that would become his Kensington Apotheosis series. Systematically digging up the alley behind his property, which was the site of a dump from the mid-19th to the mid-20th centuries, he found old ceramic pipes and dolls, mostly fragments. Morgan gives these discarded, broken, long-forgotten, buried ceramic pieces a new life inspired by the Japanese practice of kintsugi, celebrating their broken past.
About the Artists:
Michael Morgan
He/Him
I am a ceramic sculptor. I use either bricks or ceramic sherds to create art. I am originally from Portsmouth, England, where I worked as a gardener for twelve years before studying to become an artist. I completed my BA (Hons) in Ceramics at The Polytechnic, Wolverhampton, UK in 1988, was at The Clay Studio, Philadelphia from 1988 till 1991, and received my MFA in Ceramics at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln in 1993. I have completed brick sculptures for both public and private clients throughout the USA and UK. I live in Manayunk, Philadelphia, where I continue to make a living as a practicing artist. I formerly taught ceramic sculpture at Rutgers University.
My work is largely commission-based. Some of my major recent commissions are; “Philadelphia Earth”, Philadelphia PA Airport, “Frankford Gateway”, Philadelphia PA, “Hornets Nest”, Arts and Science Council, Charlotte NC, “Convergence” 2015 Blue Barn Theatre, Omaha NE, “Arches of Resurgence”, SEPTA Philadelphia PA, “27th Street Hearth”, City of Lincoln NE, “Memory Wall”, Nashville NE.
My work has been featured in a number of publications such as Neue Keramik, American Craft, Ceramics Monthly, Landscape Architecture, Rockland Magazine and Dallas Morning News.
It has often occurred to me that I have become pretty good at something that I have made up.
“I am primarily a brick sculptor. Using this humble everyday material to create public art connects with a wide audience, particularly in the brick-centric East Coast. We all know what that small rectangular unit is, therefore if it is manipulated, it can become a good vehicle for metaphor.
I create sculpture that treats this building unit as a sculptural medium, synthesizing it with elements in the natural landscape, thus making a strong connection between the urban and the natural environments. With the inclusion of glaze, and if its clay nature is emphasized, the resulting sculptural possibilities can be much more varied and exciting than is usually seen. For example, a brick sculpture can, without relying solely on direct representation, express concepts of being altered by water, growing out of the ground, community, the passing of time or a feeling of exuberance and movement. During my career I have completed sculptures that have expressed each of these concepts.
I have completed a number of medium to large scale projects, these have all been specific to a given site, and have stood the test of time in various harsh climates from Florida's East Coast to the upper Midwest and Upstate New York.”
Joseph Opshinsky
He/Him
Joseph Opshinsky draws inspiration from the landscapes of Pennsylvania and the surrounding environs. His cut paper collages utilize vibrant colors and pattern to depict the scenes of an industrial past, as well as representations of the natural world of the region. In addition to corporate and private collections, Joseph Opshinsky’s award-winning collages have been exhibited at numerous museums and galleries, including the Roberson Museum, Philadelphia Sketch Club, and the State Museum of Pennsylvania, where his work is part of the permanent collection.
A Scranton native, Opshinsky is a fine arts graduate of Keystone College and The University of the Arts. He currently resides outside of Philadelphia.
“My art is rooted in the natural world and landscapes of Pennsylvania. The effects of the localized scenery, the remnants of past industry, and the plants and animals that inhabit the region have provided inspiration throughout my career. I strive to reveal the inherent beauty of overlooked and forgotten places, especially scenes reclaimed by nature.
Over the past several years, my process has evolved from traditional painting and drawing to working in collaged paper. This medium provides an engaging set of challenges in terms of color, composition, and representation, all beginning with a contour line drawing. More recently, plein air sketches and watercolor studies have become the starting point for my cut paper collages.”
