Artist creates the inner mind

by Tiffany Royal
Staff Writer

One may not think that the mind and memory could be a ghostly world of simple images.

This is what Jenny Ellis thought about fragmented memory, as she explored this idea with her Master of Fine Arts thesis show that opened last night at Trisolini Gallery, 20 E. Union St. The show runs through May 12.

Ellis said the primary interest in her work is about the idea of fragmented memories.

"Remembering things for me is very difficult," she said. "I became interested in looking at old photographs and thinking about times when you'll have a mental image of something, but you may not know where it came from or you won't be able to put it in context."

This interactive exhibit explores Ellis's thoughts on the processes of the mind and gives examples of her ability to work in a real space, rather than on a flat surface, such as a sketchbook. One also can experience art by walking through it when it is three-dimensional, Ellis said.

"It's not just an object or not just a painting, but it's something; you become a part of it," she said.

Ellis's show is full of mystery and beauty, consisting of materials such as 16-gauge wire, translucent and transparent fabrics, and charcoal and graphite images drawn on fabric. Scattered among floor-to-ceiling drapes of fabric are several dim light bulbs suspended from the ceiling.

"The random lighting gives it that perfect touch," said Sara Continenza, a freshman education major. "(You see) all these different layers, but you can see every layer for itself; really just see it as a whole."

The images drawn on the willowy soft fabrics consist of birds and mountains, as well as the optical illusion of chairs in the corner. The drapes have shadows of chairs, but as people peek behind the drapes, they find there is no chair.

In the back room, Ellis created and hung about 1,000 birds made from wire, with a single light in the middle of it all, creating a variety of shadows and images on the walls, ceiling and floor.

"They don't seem like sculptures because they are made out of 16-gauge wire, really thin wire or translucent fabric," Ellis said. "A lot of things that aren't very solid."

Mei-Mei Chang, a second-year graduate photography major, has watched Ellis's process over the past year.

"She's been working hard making wires, with the use of fabrics, translucent and transparent, the lighting of the show and birds," Chang said. "It's so beautiful."