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Since I was a child, "art" has been a way for me to dialogue with myself. The process assists me in resolving unprocessed emotions in a non verbal way. I have a deep respect for the mystery that we are; occupying so many levels simultaneously! This and a love of materials is what brings me into the studio. Like in dreaming, images can form that feel satisfying and lead to, at least a temporary sense of resolution. This is not a land of logic. It's an environment of intuition.
Jung puts it succinctly "To the extent that I managed to translate emotions into images- that is to say, to find the images concealed in the emotions- I was inwardly calmed and reassured."
I often work with a personal language of symbols.
Newspaper becomes a symbol of the outside world's take on "reality." Painted "space" represents being in the larger context.
Blood cells represent our inherent equality.
The house becomes a symbol of the body and what emotions pass through.
I hope you enjoy the work; I welcome comments...Titles and any expression of your own poetic vision.
IN THE GALLERIES............
PANDEMIC DRAWINGS
I worked with trusting my "hand". I worked on getting my mind out of the way and not censoring immediate responses. I became aware of what felt like "authentic" marks and followed until the process became self conscious. During the pandemic this seemed like a timely exercise in trust and opening. The resulting drawings were often amusing to me and seemed reflective of my pandemic emotions taking temporary form. I found them good company.
WORKING WITH NEWSPAPER 2020-2023
The materials that are chosen act as metaphor. Newspaper represents what the "outside world" thinks. In this time of divisiveness, I wanted to use a symbol common to our shared humanity...the blood cell. I used enlarged images of human blood cells and then paint to create breathing space.... to bring me back into my home, my body, my priorities. In the more current work on newspaper; I use the Buddhist practice of Tonglen to be able to open to the sad news of our day, and send back a deep out breath.
TACTILE EXPRESSIONS
Size, shape, weight, placement and the tactile become a language of emotion and experience. It is not a land of logic; but an environment of intuition.
SCULPTURE
I worked with the house form for several years. It became a symbol for my body, the place I reside. The materials were chosen to convey the feeling I was working with in each sculpture: the emotion "passing through". I worked until I felt a sense of resolution. At times I am following a known thread into an outer territory and sometimes I am pulled along, following without any idea why. Sounds like life, eh?
Rumi's words on the websites opening page, was discovered toward the end of the house sculpture exploration and surprisingly expressed the process beautifully.
INSTALLATIONS
These installations were mostly created in collaboration with a dear artist friend for SOMARTS Gallery in San Francisco; This yearly event was curated by Renee Ynez
6x6 inch woodblocks:
FINDING CENTER
WORKING WITH DREAMS
In Finding Center , I began with carving into the center of each wood piece. The small size and veiled center is intended to draw you in close. We see the outer appearance, the surface. What lies in the inner depths?
I hope that you respond to some of the work; I would love to hear from you, if you do and what moves you..
Thank You
Ellen