Artist turns old inner tubes into sculpture; exhibit opens Jan. 27

“Consumed,” an installation of sculptural work by Miami University professor, artist and anthropologist Alysia Fischer, opens Jan. 27 at the University of Louisville Cressman Center for Visual Arts. January 24, 2012

The artist will talk about her work Feb. 3 at 6 p.m. at the gallery. A reception will follow the lecture.

The exhibit showcases Fischer’s innovative use and manipulation of recycled inner tubes to create tactile objects that come alive with light and shadow.

“Denying the discard cycle so prevalent in American culture, I work with used inner tubes destined for the landfill. The resulting objects reflect my engagement with the local waste cycle. I work with locally sourced discarded materials in order to demonstrate their further potential. As hybrid forms retaining their industrial history, while simultaneously denying a continuation of those uses, the use of the material is extended indefinitely,” Fischer wrote of her work.

Fischer is a native of Louisville, Ky., and a graduate of Centre College. She has studied glassblowing, religion, Near Eastern studies and archaeology. She has a PhD in anthropology from the University of Arizona and a Master of Fine Arts degree in studio art from Miami University. She is a professor for the Center for American and World Cultures at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

“Consumed” will run through Feb. 25. The Cressman Center is at 100 E. Main St.

Gallery hours are Wednesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; and First Friday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. All Cressman Center events are free and open to the public.