Philadelphia area artist Shelby Reed creates assemblage sculptures that explore themes of memory, fantasy, escapism, and storytelling. While her practice is rooted primarily in ceramics, the work includes a diverse array of materials, including wire, plaster, fibers, and spray paint. The artist draws influence from botanical, cascading forms and employs large areas of negative space to evoke windows or portals into alien or imaginary worlds.

Reed draws heavily on the craft traditions of ceramics and jewelry. Using the vessel as a starting point, she embellishes the forms with lush glazes and ornamental gold hoops. Each individual element is carefully constructed and selected to evoke the feeling or story the artist is trying to capture. With this most recent body of work, Reed was inspired by the site-specific location of the airport, citing the natural light supplied by the vast windows overlooking the runways. “These are the largest pieces I have ever made which pushed me to create new forms. I aim to create lightness in my work…I use flesh-pink tones and yellowish-greens inspired from mold and decay.”

Visit www.shelbyannereed.com