Erykah Townsend
, hailing from Cleveland, Ohio, is a conceptual artist with a unique affinity for milk crates. For her, these crates symbolize her love for art, objects, and manufacturing. Milk crates are ubiquitous in our daily lives and can be found in a broad range of settings, from industrial sites, creative studios, lower-income communities to convenience stores. They offer multiple uses, such as storage, seats, basketball hoops, shelves, bike baskets, and more. In connection with Marcel Duchamp's “Fountain,” 1917, Townsend relates this connection to the concept of ready-made objects. Milk crates, as mass-produced items, provide versatility in function. Therefore, a milk crate serves as a symbol for her as a conceptual artist.
Due to her passion for milk crates, she has opened a shop to sell milk crates and other products in relation to her art and studio space.