Twin brothers Kelly and Kyle Phelps, the youngest of eight children in a family of factory workers, have been portraying issues like working-class struggles and race relations through ceramic sculptures for more than two decades. Not only do the two brothers work together in a shared studio, they reportedly dress alike and even have the same tattoos, describing themselves as “one person in two bodies.” If they sound like their own miniature factory, they are: The Phelpses utilize industrial skills like welding and mold-making to combine handcrafted cast forms with found objects from abandoned factories. You can see their work at Kelly and Kyle Phelps: Blue Collar this weekend.
Opening reception from 5-8 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 24, at Pewabic; 10125 E. Jefferson Ave., Detroit; 313-626-2000; pewabic.org. No admission. Exhibition is on view through April 27.
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This article appears in Jan 15-21, 2020.
