Today we’d like to introduce you to Ellen Rich.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Ellen. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I enrolled at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts when I turned forty. I had always wanted to be an artist and time was speeding by. Four happy years later I finished with a Fifth Year Certificate and a Traveling Scholarship. A beautiful studio in the South End opened up in a building filled with wonderful artists, and thirty years later I am still there.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Bumpy but not rough has been the road for me. I have never had to earn a living from my work so some would say the road has been smooth. The key for me is taking vast joy and pleasure in making the work. I have had some wonderful exhibition opportunities at a variety of venues: galleries, universities, museums and pop ups along the way. I was formerly represented by Genovese Sullivan Gallery in Boston, and now I show my work at the Schoolhouse Gallery in Provincetown.
Please tell us about Ellen Rich.
My work hovers somewhere between two and three dimensions with cut paper or paint forming abstract, color-driven shapes. I enjoy working with maximum hands-on action, smoothing and attaching and cutting in a variety of media and infinite color choices. You would probably recognize my work, new or old, by the round and exaggerated shapes which are attracted to each other in full and crowded spaces. I think of myself as a process artist, which is to say that I like to show the hand of the maker and the steps in the creation. I like repetitive, additive action, re-working and rarely subtracting. The notion of “coming full circle” sticks in my mind. The work always ends up being about relationships and connections. My goal is to create work that speaks with emotion to the viewer.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Valuing yourself and your work is a common struggle for everyone. I think working alone in one’s studio is more challenging in that regard. Self-doubt is the enemy in making art but with the passage of time one becomes more confident.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ellenrichart.com
- Email: ellenrich8@gmail.com
Image Credit:
Will Howcroft
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