10" x 10" Mixed media on wood This piece is one of a series that emerged from a set of 100 letters written by my grandfather while he was a young soldier serving in the US Army during World War I. He was a tailor by trade and I, too, work creatively with my hands and fabrics. By placing his letters together with my fabrics, it’s as if the two of us are in conversation in the current moment. My hope is to capture something about this connection of hands, hearts and DNA, which points to the fact that we are all in conversation with our past (whether it's conscious or not), and perhaps we can heal backwards in time! The small scale of the work underscores the intimate nature of this conversation and reflection. $295
Threads of Connection #9 [10″ x 10″]
Ellen Brook2024-08-04T12:07:48-07:0010" x 10" Mixed media on wood This piece is one of a series that emerged from a set of 100 letters written by my grandfather while he was a young soldier serving in the US Army during World War I. I never met my grandfather. He was a tailor by trade and I, too, work creatively with my hands and fabrics. By placing his letters together with my fabrics, it’s as if the two of us are in conversation in the current moment. My hope is to capture something about this connection of hands, hearts and DNA. In doing so, I aim to reflect the larger themes of belonging and love in one's ancestral lineage, to suggest that we are ALL in conversation with our past (whether it's conscious or not), and to offer the radical suggestion that perhaps we can heal family wounds backwards in time. The small scale of the work underscores the intimate nature of this conversation and reflection. $295
Threads of Connection #8 [10″ x 10″] [SOLD]
Ellen Brook2024-08-04T12:04:11-07:0010" x 10" Mixed media on wood This piece is one of a series that emerged from a set of 100 letters written by my grandfather, whom I never met, while he was a young soldier serving in the US Army during World War I. He was a tailor and I, too, work creatively with my hands and fabrics. By placing his letters together with my fabrics, it’s as if we are in conversation in the current moment. My hope is to capture something about this connection of hands, hearts and DNA, perhaps pointing to the fact that we are ALL in conversation with our past (whether it's conscious or not), and to offer the radical suggestion that perhaps we can heal family wounds backwards in time. The small scale of the work underscores the intimate nature of this conversation and reflection.
Threads of Connection #6 [10″ x 10″]
Ellen Brook2024-08-02T19:36:44-07:0010" x 10" Mixed media on wood This piece is one of a series that emerged from a set of 100 letters written by my grandfather while he was a young soldier serving in the US Army during World War I. I never met my grandfather. He was a tailor by trade and I, too, work creatively with my hands and fabrics. By placing his letters together with my fabrics, it’s as if the two of us are in conversation in the current moment. My hope is to capture something about this connection of hands, hearts and DNA. In doing so, I aim to reflect the larger themes of belonging and love in one's ancestral lineage, to suggest that we are ALL in conversation with our past (whether it's conscious or not), and to offer the radical suggestion that perhaps we can heal family wounds backwards in time. The small scale of the work underscores the intimate nature of this conversation and reflection. $295
Threads of Connection #5 [10″ x 10″]
Ellen Brook2024-08-03T17:10:42-07:0010" x 10" Mixed media on wood This piece is one of a series that emerged from a set of 100 letters written by my grandfather, whom I never met, while he was a young soldier serving in the US Army during World War I. He was a tailor and I, too, work creatively with my hands and fabrics. By placing his letters together with my fabrics, it’s as if we are in conversation in the current moment. My hope is to capture something about this lineage of hands, hearts and DNA. There are so many ways in which we are all in conversation with our past -- whether it's conscious or not. And what if this also means we can heal "backwards" in time? The small scale of the work underscores the intimate nature of this conversation and reflection. $295
Threads of Connection #4 [11″ x 11″]
Ellen Brook2024-08-02T19:31:53-07:0011" x 11" with blonde hardwood frame Mixed media on wood This piece is one of a series that emerged from a set of 100 letters written by my grandfather while he was a young soldier serving in the US Army during World War I. I never met my grandfather. He was a tailor by trade and I, too, work creatively with my hands and fabrics. By placing his letters together with my fabrics, it’s as if the two of us are in conversation in the current moment. My hope is to capture something about this connection of hands, hearts and DNA. In doing so, I aim to reflect the larger themes of belonging and love in one's ancestral lineage, to suggest that we are ALL in conversation with our past (whether it's conscious or not), and to offer the radical suggestion that perhaps we can heal family wounds backwards in time. The small scale of the work underscores the intimate nature of this conversation and reflection. $375
Threads of Connection #3 [10″ x 10″] [SOLD]
Ellen Brook2024-08-04T11:52:47-07:0010" x 10" framed (blonde hardwood) Mixed media on wood This piece is one of a series that emerged from a set of 100 letters written by my grandfather, whom I never met, while he was a young soldier serving in the US Army during World War I. He was a tailor and I, too, work creatively with my hands and fabrics. By placing his letters together with my fabrics, it’s as if we are in conversation in the current moment. My hope is to capture something about this lineage of hands, hearts and DNA. There are so many ways in which we are all in conversation with our past -- whether it's conscious or not. And what if this also means we can heal "backwards" in time? The small scale of the work underscores the intimate nature of this conversation and reflection.
Threads of Connection #2 [11″ x 11″]
Ellen Brook2024-08-03T18:06:25-07:0011" x 11" framed (blonde hardwood) Mixed media on wood This piece is one of a series that emerged from a set of 100 letters written by my grandfather, whom I never met, while he was a young soldier serving in the US Army during World War I. He was a tailor and I, too, work creatively with my hands and fabrics. By placing his letters together with my fabrics, it’s as if we are in conversation in the current moment. My hope is to capture something about this lineage of hands, hearts and DNA. There are so many ways in which we are all in conversation with our past -- whether it's conscious or not. And what if this also means we can heal "backwards" in time? The small scale of the work underscores the intimate nature of this conversation and reflection. $375
Threads of Connection [10″ x 10″] [SOLD]
Ellen Brook2024-08-04T11:40:41-07:0010" x 10" framed (blonde hardwood) Mixed media on wood This piece is one of a series that emerged from a set of 100 letters written by my grandfather, whom I never met, while he was a young soldier serving in the US Army during World War I. He was a tailor and I, too, work creatively with my hands and fabrics. By placing his letters together with my fabrics, it’s as if we are in conversation in the current moment. My hope is to capture something about this lineage of hands, hearts and DNA. There are so many ways in which we are all in conversation with our past -- whether it's conscious or not. And what if this also means we can heal "backwards" in time? The small scale of the work underscores the intimate nature of this conversation and reflection.
Joy Rises [13″ x 13″]
Ellen Brook2024-08-02T15:09:31-07:0013" x 13" framed in blonde hardwood Mixed media on wood This piece is one of a series that emerged from a set of 100 letters written by my grandfather to my grandmother while he was a young soldier serving in the US Army during World War I. I never met my grandfather. At the center of the absolute misery of war is the human being, striving to survive against both the bombarding threats and a harrowing sense of isolation. The only abiding antidote to war’s cruelties is real human connection. This truth radiates out from my grandfather’s words, including when he wrote to his beloved “Goldie”: I need to hear from you more to take “the blue” out of me. Feeling isolated and yearning to reconnect are hardly unique to war—they can occur during a global pandemic or simply everyday life. I try to reflect both the joyous dream of reuniting with a loved one as well as the “blue” -- the longing and gloom that befalls all of us now and then. $450