Phelps Brothers - "Fall of John Henry" Clay and wood ceramic figure of John Henry

Kyle & Kelly Phelps • American: B. 1972

Fall of John Henry C:2014 • Clay/Wood 28” x 20” x 8”

Kelly and Kyle Phelps remember picking iron filings out of the thick rubber soles of their father’s work boots. Years later they paid homage in other ways.

Factory life was all around them growing up in New Castle, Indiana. Their family, friends and neighbors built Chryslers, Frigidaire and Carrier products in ‘loud, dark, sticky, hot” factories where their fathers and grandparents had worked. The Phelps brothers worked there, as well, earning money through high school, college and beyond. Long enough to know their art education provided a better career path, uncertain as it might be.

They started their artistic careers making “angry black man art.” It wasn’t them and didn’t ring true. They were sons of factory workers and turned there for inspiration.

As Kelly remembered to Ceramics Monthly Magazine, “The noise was deafening, un-interrupted – the droning of the machines, loud bangs. After awhile, a sort of dehumanization sets in. You start to get in rhythm and in tune with the machine. Then you become one with the machine. Then you become the machine.”

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Rather than become machines, Kelly and Kyle Phelps dedicated their life to telling the stories of the people who lived life on the factory floor. You can leave the factory, but the factory never leaves you. They incorporate found objects into their work. Bits and pieces of old factories found on scavenging hunts through the abandoned and decaying bones of America’s manufacturing might. Their sculptures are often framed as altars or shrines because of their reverence for their subjects and the churches they’ve visited.

Capturing everyday life in art is not new. The entire American Scene art movement was dedicated to capturing the heart and soul of America. However, the Phelps’ total dedication to one slice of Americana is just the latest in a shared life built on the unexpected. They are African-Americans who love country music and punk rock. They look tough, but handle the smallest paintbrush with sensitivity. They are kids from the wrong side of town who now inhabit a world of art and academia. They create blue-collar art shown in refined galleries and art museums. They are two distinct men who are so collaborative all their work is signed with the three initials they share – KEP. Kelly Eugene and Kyle Edward Phelps. Artistic proof that two heads are better than one.

Canton Museum of Art Permanent Collection • Purchased by the Canton Museum of Art 2016.2

4 Ways to Sound Smart When Viewing at The Canton Museum of Art

1.
“This was created by two brothers who share a bond uncommon for even identical twins. All their work is collaborative and they share a desire to honor working class people.”

2.
“They view factory life as almost a religion and often use religious symbols in their work. Often their subjects look as if their religion has betrayed them.”

3.
“They often incorporate found objects in their sculptures to connect their work to place.”

4.
“The only difference in their resumes is that one is an Assistant Professor at the University of Dayton, while the other is Assistant Professor at Xavier University.”

Phelps Timeline. Scroll over images to see timeline.

1973

Identical twins, Kelly and Kyle Phelps were born in New Castle, Indiana. They had six older siblings. Their father worked in an auto manufacturing plant as did most other members of the family. Their mother made dolls and owned her own upholstery business.

1991

Graduated from Chrysler High School in New Castle, Indiana. The school was named after one of the town’s major manufacturers, Chrysler. After the crash of the auto manufacturing industry, the Chrysler name was removed from the school’s name.

1996

Graduated from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. Although they held degrees in art, the brothers went to work at Borg Warner gear manufacturing plant in search of a more stable future. The appeal of life in an automotive manufacturing plant wore out quickly.

1997

Both brothers enrolled in the MFA program at the University of Kentucky where they attended with the help of Lynman T. Johnson Teaching Assistantships.

2000

Both brothers earned MFA degrees in Ceramics and Sculpture from the University of Kentucky and immediately began teaching careers as Instructors at the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio. Kyle stayed at the University of Dayton for the balance of his teaching career, to date.

2003

Kelly became a member of Xavier University faculty in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was named Associate Professor and became Acting Chair of the Sculpture Department in 2011.

2004

The first of their popular Blue Collar exhibitions was staged at Flavor Art Studio in Cincinnati, Ohio.

2010

Both awarded research sabbaticals to conduct research and produce a body of work about the modern plight of the blue-collar worker in the United States. Awarded Best of Show for sculpture, The Letter, at the Wright Dunbar Urban Nights Art Exhibition.

2011

Awarded Best of Show for sculpture, Battle for Haditha, at the Wright Dunbar Urban Nights Art Exhibition.

2013

Their sculpture, John Henry, wins First Place in the 3-D category at the National Juried Art Exhibition, Black Heritage Through Visual Rhythm at the Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center in Wilberforce, Ohio.

2015

“Blue Collar” show was staged at the Canton Museum of Art where the brothers gave a dynamic Opening Night presentation.

Today

Both brothers are married, but still share a studio in Wilmington, Ohio, where they collaborate on every work they produce. All works are signed KEP, for Kyle Edward and Kelly Eugene. Their works are in major collections at the NAACP, San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, University of Kentucky, the the Multi-Cultural Center at Purdue University.