Robina Middleton and Marlana Eck share a passion for bringing new life to forgotten objects and cultural curiosities. This unique mother and daughter team have combined their diverse aesthetic energies to form the company ARTifacts. Their eclectic art covers a lot of interesting terrain, offering tantalizing treasures for the body, home and office.
Although Middleton has always been a creative soul, she recently left a successful career in corporate advertising to give full voice to her artistic muse. This bold move is certainly the art world's gain. Her necklaces, cuffs, bracelets and earrings are well designed and often convey a casual luxury. Middleton draws on the rich history of wearable art while imbuing each creation with a distinctive, neoteric twist. She is also a marvelous self taught seamstress whose dresses, scarves, corsets, blouses and pants are in step with the latest fashion trends.
Eck's up-cycled art invokes the delicious interiorities of untamed midnight movies and exotic missives in a creaky second hand bookstore. A nostalgic modernity reigns in these special pieces that each manage to explore an oblique, alluring narrative. You will also be taken by her repurposed furniture. Eck successfully transforms objects headed for oblivion into functional art for contemporary abodes.
This ceaselessly creative duo is deeply involved locally as members of ACE, Forks Art Society and New Bridge Group.
“One of the most important reasons we both want to be so involved in the community is because when I was growing up, there were people in the creative community that helped us along,” Eck says. “I grew up in the Lehigh Valley and it was those people who were creating and giving other people inspiration and opportunities to create that have prepared me so well for life. We both want to add to that presence in our community because it really does make a difference.”
Their abounding enthusiasm for all things creative informed by a genuine interest in interfacing with the public makes a visit to the ARTifacts space an invigorating experience. Stop by and get inspired!
Visit their website artifactseaston.org for more information and stop by the ACE tent at the Easton Farmers' Market to see their work.
