Duke, 2004

Ellen Gallagher is a contemporary artist from the United States. First studying writing at Oberlin College, and then earning a degree in fine arts from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, she is known for her innovative mixed media work. Ellen Gallagher’s themes often include issues of race, as well as mythology and the dynamics between history and the present. One of Ellen Gallagher’s most famous works, an ongoing series called Watery Ecstatic, showcases her techniques and topics. The pieces center on a mythological underwater world people by the descendants of those lost at sea during the Middle Passage, and, in keeping with the sailing motif, feature a heavy etching into thick watercolor paper, alluding to the scrimshaw art that sailors etched into whalebone. Another of Ellen Gallagher’s favorite techniques is collage and mosaic works, with images and advertisements culled from vintage issues of African American publications such as Ebony. Ellen Gallagher works out of New York City and Rotterdam.