2014 Ceramic, Plywood, Spray Paint, Hot Glue and Legs A miniature ceramic forest sits in the gallery. During the opening reception, participants are invited to take a tree. One at a time, they gently snap their tree free while others watch the performance. Participants are encouraged to talk and have fun while interacting with the […]
TheCloud from JoanieTurbek on Vimeo. 2013 Christmas lights, netting, unistrut, zip ties, electronics The Cloud Piece is a canopy built from Christmas lights that have been clustered so that they create a singular mass. The piece builds electricity until it’s charge is released, reverberating through the canopy in an uncontrolled manner. This outpouring of energy […]
icebergs from JoanieTurbek on Vimeo. 2012 Reclaimed materials This work was created as part of the Recycled Artist in Residence(RAIR) program with Revolution Recovery in North Philadelphia. The Icebergs were conceived as a response to the environment that they were created from, a scrapyard, and the greater natural environment. The materials in this recycling yard […]
DestructionByDesign from JoanieTurbek on Vimeo. 2011 Ceramics, wood, epoxy A ceramic tree stands in the gallery during a busy opening, The tree is in full bloom with warmly colored flowers covering its branches. For five dollars, the gallery goers are allowed the opportunity to “pick” one of the flowers by breaking the fragile porcelain branch […]
3 GoWithTheFlow from JoanieTurbek on Vimeo. 2012 7′ x 7′ x 8′ Wood, motor, plastic bags, pennies The viewer walks onto a round platform. Suspended above the walkway just up to the viewers head is a field of plastic bags each of which is filled with 10 pennies. The bags are suspended by a central […]
2009 8’ x 12’ x 12’ Porcelain, pluming, wood and plastic sheeting There is a moment, right after a storm shower, when the trees seem to magically keep raining for a few minutes after the sky has cleared. This piece began as a simple attempt to replicate that sensation but through its construction, […]
2008 8’ x 4’ x 9’ Grass, Plastic Bottles, Wood, Glue. Prosthetic Lawn is used to recreate the experience of lying on the grass in an indoor space. It is portable and has been installed in galleries, on rooftops, and in other places where a permanent patch of grass would not be feasible. Prosthetic Lawn […]
2007 Slip cast porcelain, packing materials No matter how hard I try, I never have enough time to be both a good friend and keep up my studio practice. In an effort to be more efficient I created the piece The Good Friend Project. I sent a mass email to all of my friends asking […]
2008 Clay, concrete, foam, wood, vent pipe, mixed media 3′ x 3′ x 8′ This sculpture attempts to offer the participant a moment of respite in a crowded room. Ironically the act of trying to avoid interaction by using this sculpture will often cause the participant to be the center of attention.
2009 Porcelain When you cast a piece of food that object is lost, it can no longer be eaten. Sometimes after I cast something that looked really tasty I wonder if it was worth it. I am not questioning the value of my work, its just that cupcakes are really good, and I would probably […]
2005 Porcelain, concrete, pulleys, rope One day, quite unexpectedly, my boyfriend broke up with me because he loved someone else. That night I lay on a friends couch, trying hard to fall asleep. At about 3am I had a vision of a sculpture in which a concrete block was the counterbalance to a large cluster […]
2006 Porcelain, pipe, pulleys, bike helmet, rope This piece was made shortly after I got out of a difficult relationship. It is a simple piece comprised of one slip cast turkey, one bike helmet, and a chair with casters embedded in concrete so that they cannot roll. The bike helmet is connected to the turkey […]
2004 Clay, heating elements I was in graduate school when my brother’s first child was born. I flew to NY to visit her and spent six days sitting on the couch with a baby in my arms and my family by my side. When I came back to school, I felt lost. Our lives were […]