Dirty Work | University of Pittsburgh, 2017

Read The Glass Block’s interview with us.

Dirty Work is the third collaborative installation by Eleanor Aldrich and Barbara Weissberger. In it they continue to explore the tension between illusion and the actual; the dynamic relationship between material and image; and art production as work.

Silver Broom (Weissberger), digital photograph/archival pigment print, 2016. Trapezoidal Sink (Aldrich), acrylic, enamel, and caulking on canvas, 2017. Purple and Red Mop Head (Aldrich), oil and silicone, 2017.

Mop Figure [Lean In] (Aldrich), paper, acrylic, oil, silicone, and found plastic, 2017.

Silhouette (Weissberger), digital photograph/archival pigment print, 2016, and Bird Bottles (Aldrich), enamel on sprayfoam, 2017, and Yellow Bucket, Purple Wave (Weissberger), digital photograph/Photo Tex adhesive backed print, 2016.

Circular Drain (Aldrich), oil, silicone, and enamel on panel, 2017. Waffle Drain (Aldrich), oil, enamel, silicone, pigment, and plaster wrap on canvas, 2017.

Rag Pile (Aldrich + Weissberger), 2017. Various Clothing Fragments (Weissberger), unique sewn, digital photograph/print on fabric, wire stand, 2016. Plaster Rags (Aldrich), pigment and plaster wrap on canvas, 2017.

Low Sweep (Weissberger), digital photograph/Photo Tex adhesive backed print, 2016, and Yellow Push Broom (Aldrich), oil and enamel on found object, 2017.

Aldrich + Weissberger, 2017.

Hex Sink (Aldrich), acrylic, enamel, and caulking on canvas with wire, 2017, and Zebra Rug (Aldrich), silicone, oil and caulking on screen, 2017.

Hex Sink (Aldrich), acrylic, enamel, and caulking on canvas with wire, 2017.

Detail of Sponge Gate (Aldrich), borax on wool, 2017.

Blue and Table (Aldrich + Weissberger), 2017. Mop Figure [Drape] (Aldrich), paper and acrylic, 2017. Three Legged Table (Weissberger), plaster, insulation foam, furniture legs, stickers, tape, 2017. Striped Aperture (Weissberger), digital photograph/Photo Tex adhesive backed print, 2016.

Hair Clump (Weissberger), digital photographs/layered archival pigment prints, 2016. Magic Carpet (Aldrich), oil, enamel, silicone, oil, tile, plastic grid and paper on vinyl, 2017.

Left to right: Blue and Table (Aldrich + Weissberger), 2017. Mop Figure [Drape] (Aldrich), paper and acrylic, 2017. Three Legged Table (Weissberger), plaster, insulation foam, furniture legs, stickers, tape, 2017. Striped Aperture (Weissberger), digital photograph/Photo Tex adhesive backed print, 2016. Tufted (Aldrich + Weissberger), 2017. Magic Carpet (Aldrich), oil, enamel, silicone, oil, tile, plastic grid and paper on vinyl, 2017. Hair Clump (Weissberger), digital photographs/layered archival pigment prints, 2016.

Detail of Sponge Gate (Aldrich), borax on wool, 2017, with Mop Figure [Lean In] (Aldrich), paper, acrylic, oil, silicone, and found plastic, 2017, and Push Mower, (Weissberger) digital photograph/print on fabric, mop, broom handle, 2016.

Sponge Gate (Aldrich), borax on wool, 2017, and Cardboard Vacuum (Weissberger), digital photograph/ print on fabric, Swiffer, broom handle, 2016.

Push Mower (Weissberger), digital photograph/print on fabric, mop, broom handle, 2016, Mop Figure [Lean In] (Aldrich), paper, acrylic, oil, silicone, and found plastic, 2017, Sponge Gate (Aldrich), borax on wool, 2017, and Cardboard Vacuum (Weissberger), digital photograph/print on fabric, Swiffer, broom handle, 2016.

Clockwise from center left: Waffle Drain (Aldrich), oil, enamel, silicone, pigment, and plaster wrap on canvas, 2017. Circular Drain (Aldrich), oil, silicone, and enamel on panel, 2017. Dropcloth (Weissberger) digital photograph/print on fabric, 2016. Wooden shape (Aldrich), oil on canvas, 2017. Yellow Bucket with Gold Tights (Weissberger), cardboard, plaster, archival pigment print, acrylic paint, acrylic tar gel, 2016.

Yellow Bucket with Gold Tights (Weissberger), cardboard, plaster, archival pigment print, acrylic paint, acrylic tar gel, 2016.

Clockwise from top: Waffle Drain (Aldrich), oil, enamel, silicone, pigment, and plaster wrap on canvas, 2017. Dropcloth (Weissberger) digital photograph/print on fabric, 2016. Yellow Bucket with Gold Tights (Weissberger), cardboard, plaster, archival pigment print, acrylic paint, acrylic tar gel, 2016.

Low Sweep (Weissberger), digital photograph/Photo Tex adhesive backed print, 2016, and Yellow Push Broom (Aldrich), oil and enamel on found object, 2017.

Clockwise from upper left: Dropcloth (Weissberger) digital photograph/print on fabric, 2016. Yellow Bucket with Gold Tights (Weissberger), cardboard, plaster, archival pigment print, acrylic paint, acrylic tar gel, 2016. Wooden shape (Aldrich), oil on canvas, 2017.

Detail of Tufted (Aldrich + Weissberger), 2017. Hair Clump (Weissberger), digital photographs/layered archival pigment prints, 2016.

Detail of Waffle Drain (Aldrich), oil, enamel, silicone, pigment, and plaster wrap on canvas, 2017.

Detail of Dropcloth (Weissberger), digital photograph/print on fabric, 2016.

Mop Figure [Drape] (Aldrich), paper and acrylic, 2017. Three Legged Table (Weissberger), plaster, insulation foam, furniture legs, stickers, tape, 2017.

Striped Aperture (Weissberger), digital photograph/Photo Tex adhesive backed print, 2016.

Detail of Tufted (Aldrich + Weissberger), 2017

Actual Dustpan (Weissberger), plaster, wire, acrylic paint, acrylic modeling paste, Plexiglas box, cut digital C-print, 2016.

Actual Clock (Aldrich), oil and silicone, 2017.

Detail of Cardboard Vacuum (Weissberger), digital photograph/print on fabric, Swiffer, broom handle, 2016.

Detail of Mop Figure [Lean In] (Aldrich), paper, acrylic, oil, silicone, and found plastic, 2017, and Push Mower, (Weissberger) digital photograph/print on fabric, mop, broom handle, 2016.

Mop Figure [Lean In] (Aldrich), paper, acrylic, oil, silicone, and found plastic, 2017, and Push Mower (Weissberger), digital photograph/print on fabric, mop, broom handle, 2016.

Cardboard Vacuum (Weissberger), digital photograph/print on fabric, Swiffer, broom handle, 2016.

Bird Bottles (Aldrich), enamel on sprayfoam, 2017, and Yellow Bucket, Purple Wave (Weissberger), digital photograph/Photo Tex adhesive backed print, 2016.

Silhouette (Weissberger), digital photograph/archival pigment print, 2016.

Untitled [Clock] (Aldrich), oil and silicone, 2017.

Detail of Rag Pile (Aldrich + Weissberger), 2017. Various Clothing Fragments (Weissberger), unique sewn, digital photograph/print on fabric, wire stand, 2016. Plaster Rags (Aldrich), pigment and plaster wrap on canvas, 2017.