develop free website

Metamorphosis Machines, 2008-09

Jessie Unterhalter and I, under the moniker Two Can Collective, created a series of installations made from objects we collected while wandering the alleys and abandoned lots of Baltimore. Our sculptural landscapes are a reflection of the disrepair of the city but also a hopeful celebration of the possibility of reinvention and rejuvenation. By repainting society’s scraps and arranging them in harmonious compositions, we explore the possibility of creating balance out of chaos, beauty out of decay.


"All artists must acquire materials. But for the 'Hunter Gatherer Artist', finding goods is much more than a necessity. It is their principal artistic activity, integrated with other stages of their process and intertwined with their conceptual framework. A perfect example of this synthesis is the Baltimore based Two Can Collective, also known as Emily C-D and Jessie Unterhalter. By exploring abandoned neighborhoods, they glean discarded objects and visual inspiration for their exuberant formal vocabulary...Their interaction with the environment is so essential, that it could be called their third collaborator, or another member of their collective."  —Paul Glasgow and Sarada Conaway, from the catalog for "Hunter Gatherer" at the The Galleries at CCBC, Catonsville