Ellis Angel
Medium: Mixed Media Studio Location: New Jersey - Studio# -- Phone: 646-599-1933 Email: ellisangel111@gmail.com Website:: www.ellisangel.com Artist Bio: Ellis Angel is an emerging activist artist. With a concentration in mixed media, more specifically paper weaving; Ellis seeks to reduce text and meanings to their basic parts in order to provide the viewer with a different reading of the theme. In "Article I, Section 9, Clause 8," Ellis provides a commentary or subtle protest though the subversive nature of destroying something of value. With the Women's March and March for Our Lives series, found protest posters are shredded then woven back together into a more permanent symbol of protest and serve to document the movement. Embracing the more female realm of weaving, but using paper rather than textiles, Ellis uses one of the oldest art forms to say something of current affairs. Ellis is currently exhibiting in "Gateway to Imagination" at the Farmington Museum in Farmington, New Mexico and in "Defining Art of Change in the Age of Trump" at the new Center for Contemporary Political Art in Washington, D.C. Artist Statement: Article I, Section 9, Clause 8 "Article I, Section 9, Clause 8" refers to the emoluments clause of The Constitution. It reads: "No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince or foreign State." President Trump continues to profit from his holdings, and by implementing laws or holding events at his facilities as examples, creates a conflict of interest as our president. As a culture, we agree that both money and The Constitution hold value. This work is an act of resistance through the process of tearing up money and The Constitution, reducing this little bit of personal wealth to nothing as civil disobedience. This work points out how President Trump consistently undermines and ignores The Constitution and profits at the expense of the American people, effectively ignoring the rulebook, and noting the specific Clause in which President Trump does it: Article I, Section 9, Clause 8. Then taking the deconstructed pieces, they are woven back together again, literally. The objective at the start was to make something gaudy and gilded in gold, in the vein of the Trump style. The stretchers are gold. The thread is gold that is accentuated with shiny metallic gold wrapping. The money was also meant to be gaudy. Really, the only thing that wasn't meant to be exaggerated or excessive - because it is never meant to be, or is - was The Constitution. The gaudy was to be woven together with The Constitution to contrast the two. It wasn't meant to be beautiful, it was meant to elicit disgust. Rather than being disgusted with the final outcome; however, it turned out to be quite beautiful. It takes a minute to figure out what it is. Once the dollars and The Constitution are identified, the texture, scale, and subversive meaning for the weaving can be appreciated. Then we can ask, "is protest patriotic," "can art be activism," and, most importantly, "how can I be an activist?" One person may not have the loudest voice. But, with art as a catalyst for change, this peaceful protest can create some awareness and community engagement. To that end, I've invested my dollars as a statement with this work, but, as a nation, we stand to lose much more when we have someone in office that can make political decisions that allow him to profit personally. The office he holds asks that he serve the people, rather than himself. This is the take away. If you look closely, you'll see Clause 8 circled in red. March for Our Lives Series - Disarm Hate March for Our Lives refers to the growing gun reform movement following in the wake of so many school shootings. The posters in this series were collected from the March for Our Lives protest in New York City on March 24, 2018. The collected posters, after being photographed, are shredded and woven into a group weaving incorporating many posters, signs, and statements on current issues. This series is at once a stand in solidarity and a documentation of that moment of resistance and protest. All images and text copyright Ellis Angel