Michelle Grabner, a Milwaukee-based artist known for examining overlooked visual languages, has created a new series of porcelain sculptures at the Kohler Company's MakerSpace in Wisconsin. These works, which mimic janitorial supplies like sponges, sinks, and mop carts, are being shown at the Independent art fair this week with Cleveland's Abattoir Gallery. Grabner, who co-curated the 2014 Whitney Biennial and served as the inaugural artistic director of FRONT International, continues to expand her practice beyond painting into industrial materials, while also holding two concurrent museum retrospectives: "Underdone Potato" at the Schneider Museum of Art and "Under the Sink" at the Haggerty Museum.
This work matters because Grabner uses porcelain—a material traditionally associated with fine art and luxury—to elevate the mundane tools of custodial labor, sparking conversations about class, visibility, and institutional dependence on unseen workers. By referencing artists like Robert Gober and Mierle Laderman Ukeles, she connects her practice to broader dialogues about formalism and social ethics. The exhibition at Independent highlights how contemporary artists are increasingly engaging with industrial production and craft traditions to challenge hierarchies of value in the art world.