oil
solo exhibit
3.18.09
“I fondle themes of envy, ennui, and egoism, but never lose my flair for the absurd. A painting of mine once commented “Why do I have tumor-titties? I don’t know, but I’m sure as hell going to the beach anyway!”
The women I portray are stewing in a hot vat of duality, with a side of the inevitability of things they cannot change. Their air of stoicism is a reflection of comfortable disempowerment as they straddle the line between whoredom and innocence, angst and contentment, self-loathing and acceptance.
My paintings are a series of awkward and ugly events colliding with unexpected beauty. They exercise my cynical side and help me embrace things outside my control. They are an exploration of self-acceptance, personal growth and the darker side of femininity.”
works:
bio:
links:
• 716: Network
• website
• flickr
• etsy
• imagekind
Ela Steel was born in Ontario, Canada. She studied Fine Art at Georgian College’s School of Design and Visual Art in Barrie, Ontario (just outside Toronto.) Since 2005 she has lived as an expat artist-girl near Houston, Texas with her husband, dog and three cats. She’s been known to take months-long trips across North American and Asia.
Her interest in corsetry and insect photography are expressed in her paintings, as well as her sarcastic, dark sense of humo(u)r. She uses narratives of her childhood memories, distorted by time and her adult understanding of human interaction, as a jumping off point in her work.
Her work is held in private collections throughout the US, Canada, Europe and Australia and she has exhibited in both the US and Canada.
