Artist Statement: 

Narratives are an important and necessary part of constructing and controlling any identity. Whether internal or external, narratives define how we see ourselves and others. My recent works focus on narrative as a means of understanding multiple facets of individual identity, both public and private. Recurrent visual themes include corporate management structures, cult dynamics, and Sisyphean tasks.

 

These works contain a strong sense of absurdity, which I reinforce by performing as the physical model for all the humans in the series. While it has specific personal meaning and a dry sense of humor from my point of view, I invite viewers to invent their own explanations of what the narrative means. These drawings align themselves with contemporary artists utilizing narrative, such as Trenton Doyle Hancock, Marcel Dzama, and Henry Darger.

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Artist Biography:

Ellen Mueller has exhibited nationally and internationally as an interdisciplinary artist exploring the shared, everyday challenge of resisting change and maintaining control. She received her MFA in Studio Art from University of South Florida. Recent exhibitions span a variety of venues including CNN.com, the Cardiff Story Museum, and the Taubman Museum of Art. Recently, she has been selected for residencies at Vermont Studio Center, Ucross Foundation, Santa Fe Art Institute, and NES.