2018 has been a wonderful year of exhibits in the Gallery at the Bigfork Edge Center for the Arts, and the final showing of the year closes with another unique show. Ellen Sandbeck bills herself as a “paper artist”, but that hardly begins to describe the multi- faceted presenter of this final “exhibit” of the year. Ellen is not only an artist, but a teacher, organic gardener, mother and others. It is hard to imagine how she fits in enough time for her art. At this exhibit you will see examples of work that you must get close to appreciate the detail and then back up to appreciate how it "fits'" together. It is one of those exhibits that makes one want to study. Ellen Sandbeck's work will be on display from November 1 through December 1 during normal gallery hours and during Edge Events. The gallery is next to the Bigfork School
Regarding her art, in her own words: “I
have always been entranced by the natural world, and have been making
nature-based art since I was a toddler. I have been doing papercuts since 1985,
when my son was born, and the constant distraction of tending him made it
difficult to do any form of artwork that involved drying time. I soon realized
that papercutting was my true medium. Though every papercut I started during
that first year fell apart in my hands, after a single, injudicious cut, I kept
practicing. After that first year, I began sending samples to publishing
companies, and within a year had landed my first book contract, with Dover
Publications, for a stencil book. Ten other books of original graphics
followed.
In 2009, I began a year-long project in which I
executed a papercut of the historical Buddha every day. Like every project I
have ever taken on, this project was far more time-consuming than I had
anticipated, yet it was a year of very peaceful meditation. As the year
progressed, so did I, and I began to feel as if I was getting a handle on my
medium. Though papercutting could be considered rather limiting, and even
clumsy, I find its limitations a challenge, and tend to regard it as a game or
a sport, as well as an art. I also regard papercutting as a sort of hybrid
between drawing and very very shallow bas relief, and as I am working, I almost
get a sensation of working and feeling my way around the three-dimensional
bodies of my subjects.”
Even
though the Edge Gallery is a “traditional gallery” at least in design,
the Edge strives to bring to our audience a view of the wonderful diversity of what we
call “Art on the Edge” and Ellen is a wonderful example of that effort. Mark you calendar accordingly. This is one you don’t want to miss.
Ellen Sandbeck will be showing her work at the Edge Center Gallery
