Founded by two artists in 2019, Carriage Creative bridges the world of fabrication into those of fine art and design.

Erica Ehrenbard

Co-FOUNDER

Erica is a sculptor with a background that spans numerous industries. Having worked for a sculpture foundry, stone carving studio, costume draper, individual artists & artisans, and an accomplished architecture firm, Erica has a unique ability to work fluidly across a variety of materials and scales. Her hands-on approach and dedication to detail shape each of our projects.

ARTIST STATEMENT

Digesting the experience of being alive is my ever-present artistic motivation. I transfer instincts and psychological patterns – such as obsession, avoidance, anxiety – into physical forms, paying close attention to my body as a reference and dissolving into time-consuming processes. Spending so much time with my media, and amplifying their innate characteristics, creates an entry point to develop objects that feel ‘one’ with their source. I work extensively with metals and fiber to produce work that feels as though it could have produced itself, yet, the trace of my making inevitably leaves an imprint of consciousness.

I refer to the human figure as a primary source of inspiration, coupled with core mechanisms of our environment. I am particularly influenced by women’s garments of the 19th century, which manipulate the female gesture to compose beauty in a silhouette while adding tension to our stance. The process of growth within the natural world further offers powerful configurations of mass, reflecting an existence that is ingrained in the passage of time.

Zachary Steinheiser

Co-FOUNDER

Zachary is a sculptor with expertise in a wide range of fabrication methods and on-site installation. Prior to doing so in our own shop, he spent years working under a skilled blacksmith & artist in Philadelphia producing custom forgings and large-scale architectural metalwork. Zachary additionally holds expertise in precast concrete and sculpture conservation, giving him a perspective grounded in longevity. Zachary bridges the gap between high-volume production and one-of-a-kind creation.

ARTIST STATEMENT

Structures fascinate me, natural and human made alike. Urban architecture is of particular interest. Buildings and infrastructure are taken for granted, but their forms and compositions have deep histories. Raw materials are collected, refined and installed for purposes of habitation and industry. After completion, buildings experience a cycle of life, death, and re-birth as the fortunes of cities wax and wane. In my sculpture, I work from the premise that a structure acquires a kind of inanimate soul as it is built, experienced, and abandoned. The materials I use to accomplish this are primarily steel, wood, and concrete as they are familiar to a post-industrial urban landscape. In contrast to these heavy, structural materials, I include an element or idea that doesn’t quite fit. This is usually something vibrant in color or unrecognizable in form and serves to create a scene imbued with an unknown and undiscoverable history. The intersection between what is structural, familiar, understandable and that which is strange and unknown is where I intend my work to inhabit.