“Plastic
World”
work by
Mary Ellen Croteau
October 17th-November 9th
I could just shut up. Show you pictures of her stunning artwork and let them speak for
themselves. But then you might not
realize that they are all made out of plastic waste, the stuff that doesn’t get
recycled.
Mary Ellen Croteau - Unconventional Mosaic Art
Mary Ellen Croteau, a Chicago based eco, feminist artist, is not averse to controversy. For many years she has been an active Feminist Artist with an international reputation, producing witty, sophisticated art that shafts the status quo of our male dominated society.
Mary Ellen Croteau - Unconventional Mosaic Art
Mary Ellen Croteau, a Chicago based eco, feminist artist, is not averse to controversy. For many years she has been an active Feminist Artist with an international reputation, producing witty, sophisticated art that shafts the status quo of our male dominated society.
In recent years, she has developed a strong opinion about
what we so easily throw into the landfill in our consumer society. Ironically, she creates beautiful art out of
waste to bring it to our attention.
“I conceived of an endless column
of these caps and jar lids, after Constantin Brancusi’s iconic modernist
sculpture. One became two, and two became many. While making these
columns, I noticed the smaller caps tended to nest inside one another, and the
color combinations reminded me of Chuck Close’s painted portraits. So I
got sidetracked and started on a large self-portrait (which I titled CLOSE) made entirely of bottle caps. “
At over 7000 plastic caps and measuring over 8’x7’ it’s an
amazing piece, but a little big for our gallery.
The YSAC Gallery, will feature some of Mary Ellen’s smaller
bottle cap pieces, including
My Eye,
which at 30” x 38” is about 5 times the detail of the eye in her large
self-portrait.
In her series Bag World,
Mary Ellen explored the ubiquity of plastic bags in the environment. The
first project was the making of a braided bag rope with plastic bags that she
accumulated over a 7-month period. She titled that project: A
Measure of Consumption: 225 days, 68 meters.
She has also painted replicas of works by VanGogh, O'Keeffe, Monet, deChirico and Matisse, with plastic bags painted
into the beautiful landscapes. Then in her installation, she made it impossible
to get up close to the art except by wading through a foot high bag-strewn
floor.
“I firmly believe in the power of the visual,
and my work is my voice: a social critique and a visual challenge to all the
cultural detritus we are force-fed every day. My art is about looking at
things in a slightly different way, and is intended to undermine the status quo
with wit and humor. “
Come meet Mary Ellen Croteau at our Reception:
October 17th 6-9 p.m.
The Yellow Springs Arts Council Community Gallery
111 Corry Street, Yellow Springs Ohio
Open hours at the gallery: Wednesday-Sunday 1-4