10" 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
Take Me Out of the Blue If You Can [13″ x 13″]
Ellen Brook2024-08-02T13:28:48-07:0013" x 13" in a 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 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
Take Me Out of the Blue, Dear [30″ x 30″]
Ellen Brook2024-08-02T11:53:16-07:0030" x 30" 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. $1300
Take Me Out of the Blue #5 [SOLD]
Ellen Brook2024-08-12T17:09:24-07:0020" x 20" 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. $695
Take Me Out of the Blue #12 [24″ x 24″]
Ellen Brook2024-08-02T13:15:22-07:0024" x 24" 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. $850
Take Me Out of the Blue #10 [24″ x 24″]
Ellen Brook2024-08-02T13:06:37-07:0024" x 24" 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. $850
Take Me Out of the Blue #2 [16′ x 16″]
Ellen Brook2024-08-02T12:54:17-07:0016" x 16" 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. $495