Philadelphia artist Michael Morgan has been working with brick as his primary medium for over 30 years. As a material which is simultaneously malleable and enduring, bricks represent to Morgan the world’s most elemental and common substance--earth. For his exhibition at Philadelphia International Airport, the artist has chosen to work with 3 different types of brick; some salvaged from a local house built in the 1840s, some reclaimed from the Delaware River, and some that he manipulates in the wet, clay state by adding porcelain, oxides and glass.

While the Northeastern coast of the United States is dominated by brick architecture, Philadelphia brick from the 19th century is prized by both manufacturers and architectural scholars alike for its composition and color. Due to unique geological conditions, there is a significant amount of gold in our native clay which gives the brick its trademark, vibrant red/orange color. The bricks that have been pulled from the river are not as easy to date, but have been weathered enough by time and tide to tell the story of gradual change. The third source material, the bricks altered by the artist himself, reveal hand and footprints that emphasize the handmade nature of the bricks that built Philadelphia. Together, they form an exhibition which is a celebration of our city’s great brick heritage.

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