Ellory Isaacs
When explaining my overall creative practice an important part are the artistic processes I go through. Often you'll see a lot of time spent on researching/planning like deciding on the subject matter, content, and materials. Research interests include film, true crime, mental health and its roots, psychology, art history, and popular culture with many of these carrying over to subject matter. Subject matter often depicted include a study in human form, social relation (ranging from strangers to lovers and everything in between), trauma and mental illness, feelings and emotions, gender and sexuality, and popular culture (such as film, music, television, etc.). Materials that are often utilized are primarily graphite on paper, but the last couple of years there has been a lot of exploration in many different mediums. Formal qualities you can see throughout the work include a focus in line, form (3D or with my drawings the illusion of it), tone, texture, unity and variety, emphasis, and primarily a neutral or monochromatic color scheme
My mental health can be a roadblock when finishing pieces, often starting something new without having finished a current project due to excitement/passion quickly fleeting from one thing to the next. In recent years I've been practicing process art, meaning the end-product isn’t the focus but rather the making of it, which is as much a state of mind as it is a technique. Process art makes finishing works much easier as I don’t let my anxiety/perfectionism sabotage my completion. Depicting as realistically as possible my current reality, what I see or what I experience, can be seen throughout all of my work and is the other part of my process.
When looking at what I make and why I make it you must look back to the root cause, it was a form of escapism and therapy growing up in a very traumatizing/abusive time. I make the artwork that I do to understand and process everything that I experience, to heal, and to bring back passion and happiness.
My mental health can be a roadblock when finishing pieces, often starting something new without having finished a current project due to excitement/passion quickly fleeting from one thing to the next. In recent years I've been practicing process art, meaning the end-product isn’t the focus but rather the making of it, which is as much a state of mind as it is a technique. Process art makes finishing works much easier as I don’t let my anxiety/perfectionism sabotage my completion. Depicting as realistically as possible my current reality, what I see or what I experience, can be seen throughout all of my work and is the other part of my process.
When looking at what I make and why I make it you must look back to the root cause, it was a form of escapism and therapy growing up in a very traumatizing/abusive time. I make the artwork that I do to understand and process everything that I experience, to heal, and to bring back passion and happiness.
Thousand Eyes Project
"The eyes are the window to your soul." – William Shakespeare
Created with graphite on paper, usually sized 8" x 4", these drawings are part of an ongoing project started last year. The project is a study on social relations, gender, feelings and emotions, personalities, and even mental illness and trauma. Depicted you can see a range of people from strangers, acquaintances, family, ex or current friends, ex or current lovers, and celebrities. There are several subjects included who were very traumatizing for me, drawn at a time when they brought me happiness, some of these drawings have since been destroyed. Pictures and permission are sent to me from the subject (unless they are famous) and to keep anonymity I do not tag them. Anonymity is a key part of the process, creating a guessing game for people who know the subjects, and if executed successfully they will be able to identify. Contrary to people who know the subjects, people who do not just see a set of stranger’s eyes and can see not only emotions but a look into their personality or mental state without bias.
You can follow the project at https://www.instagram.com/thousandeyesproject/ for future and previous additions.
Created with graphite on paper, usually sized 8" x 4", these drawings are part of an ongoing project started last year. The project is a study on social relations, gender, feelings and emotions, personalities, and even mental illness and trauma. Depicted you can see a range of people from strangers, acquaintances, family, ex or current friends, ex or current lovers, and celebrities. There are several subjects included who were very traumatizing for me, drawn at a time when they brought me happiness, some of these drawings have since been destroyed. Pictures and permission are sent to me from the subject (unless they are famous) and to keep anonymity I do not tag them. Anonymity is a key part of the process, creating a guessing game for people who know the subjects, and if executed successfully they will be able to identify. Contrary to people who know the subjects, people who do not just see a set of stranger’s eyes and can see not only emotions but a look into their personality or mental state without bias.
You can follow the project at https://www.instagram.com/thousandeyesproject/ for future and previous additions.
Heaven on Earth
Digital media montage made in Adobe Premiere Pro, 2020.
Journaling a perfect attainable day, songs used are "Entrance" and "It All Feels Right" by Washed Out from the album Paracosm.
Journaling a perfect attainable day, songs used are "Entrance" and "It All Feels Right" by Washed Out from the album Paracosm.
Twenty-Twenty
Digital media montage made in Adobe Premiere Pro, 2020.
A day in the life at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
A day in the life at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.