Erin Elizabeth (pictured above) is a conceptual artist based in Chicago whose works explore the concept of celebration. She uses her art to comment on her idea that saving extreme celebration or mourning for special occasions can make them feel empty, as though they have had too much buildup. Her work turns the mundane and commonplace into a cause for celebration and asks the question: "Are routine experiences less important or memory-worthy than celebratory moments?". For example, the work pictured below is called "Nothin' But a Number" and its from her series "Sallie Mae".
The work is made from recycled mail, presumably loan bills. The piece takes something mundane, such as the act of paying a bill, and turns it into an event, something that has been accomplished and deserves to be celebrated. Another such work is this one, called "On Reading Between the Lines".
This work uses materials such as frosting and sprinkles, objects normally associated with celebration, and applies them in relation to a period in life known as "middle age", during which life can be come remarkably mundane and routine. This is a theme throughout her art, much of it is colorful and she uses a lot of materials traditionally used in celebratory situations, such as banners, confetti, and gold to explore "the paradoxical hierarchy of experiential value".
I think her art is great fun and I hope to see an exhibit of hers in person someday.
https://www.zhibit.org/elizabetherin
https://www.artprize.org/erin-elizabeth
I think monotony is something that most people of afraid of in their careers/lives. It is pretty cool that she takes that concept and turns it into something that can be celebrated. I wonder if her insight just comes from going through her daily life since that is what her work is all about. Although, her work does beg the question if celebrating routine activities would take away from the excitement of celebratory moments. If we are spending all our time celebrating routine experiences then it might take away from the big moments but I think it is important to at least appreciate the impact of routine activities and the role they play in our lives. The extent and frequency of the celebrations are important.
ReplyDeleteI really like the concept of Elizabeth's work and think that it not only is something pretty and interesting to look at, but also makes me contemplate the tradition of celebrating certain events. I admire artists who are able to combine skill and a challenging theme/concept, and I also think her work is super fun!
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