Study of Falling Hands #4
Ellen Ornitz
Manhattan, Montana
Study of Falling Hands #4, 2007
Ceramic, concrete
It is said that no transformation of consciousness can occur without perpetrator(s) feeling true empathy for the victim. Recovery and/or enlightenment are impossible without this compassion. My interest is in revealing the victim’s experience. Intuitively and aesthetically, I am drawn to the historic stigmata image, which is ironic considering my Jewish origin.
Bio
Ellen Ornitz works with a mixture of sculpture and collage, and she is inspired by the human body. “I saw an exhibit on Pompeii and I was so moved by it,” she says, “the idea of the last gesture of one person on earth, forever.” Formerly the director of visual arts at the Emerson Center for Arts and Culture, Ellen is now an independent curator and artist.