Ground Below, Sky Above, and the Air in Between Us: Josiah Ellner’s Exhibition at Collect Bean

Today, I have the pleasure of speaking with Josiah Ellner, a talented artist whose work beautifully explores themes like connection to the natural world, wonder, nostalgia, and desire. In his current exhibition with Collect Bean, Josiah delves into captivating elements like the sun, moon, skies, trees, gardens, and birds. We’ll discuss his creative process, inspirations, and the fascinating stories behind his notable works, including the featured “Flower Moon.” 

Can you describe the themes you explore in your artwork and how they are represented in your upcoming exhibition with Collect Bean?: 

A few themes that I explore in my own artwork include connection to the natural world, wonder, nostalgia and desire.  Recently, I have become interested in ideas revolving the spiritual in relation to the natural world.  How we feel connected to something larger than ourselves when engaged with the natural environment.

In the upcoming exhibition with Collect Bean a couple words that come to mind when looking at the work is wonder, contemplation, discoveries and dreams.  A lot of paintings highlight the sun, the moon, skies, trees, gardens and birds.  

The current Collect Bean Collection curated by yourself is titled Ground Below, Sky Above, and the Air in Between Us. Can you tell us about this exhibition?

Ground Below, Sky Above and the Air in Between Us is a show with no singular theme in mind.  Rather I wanted to bring together a group of artists who resonate with ideas of engaging with their personal environments and are drawn to depicting the natural world in their work. Artists that walk through the world with a sensitivity that allows them to perceive the quiet ongoings in the world that often go unnoticed. 

I am so incredibly happy with how the exhibition turned out and all the pieces that the artists decided to include! Some of the pieces in the show when placed next to one another feel a lot like long lost friends reunited. The shared sensibilities among this group of artists is palpable and I am so honored to show alongside them. 

Can you share the story behind one of your notable works that will be featured at Collect Bean?

The piece I have included in the August Collection is titled “Flower Moon.”  A lot of my recent work has been inspired by little discoveries I make on my walks in my neighborhood.  My eyes are always drawn to the ground and the small happenings around me.  On one of these walks I came across a curious looking spider web amidst some weeds.  There was a gap in the center of the web as if the spider had just stopped its task right before the end was in sight. This idea of an unfinished spider web or abandoned web was what held my interest and left me with so many questions.

Where did the spider go? Why did it stop? Did it find a better place to build its home?

As I began to paint what I had encountered in the world, the process of painting began to transform what I had seen.  The shape of the gap became a flower and the full moon found a perfect home in the center of the abandoned web.

You paint hands often, or what seem to resemble the shape of a hand but with a natural flow almost as if they are breathing or flowing to a rhythm. Why do you choose the subjects of hands? Is it because hands tend to allow access?

Thank you for that description. I absolutely love that!

Early on in my painting career when I would paint the full figure I was always drawn to the hands. Their meaning and their form.  Where the hands were placed within the narrative was usually where the “moment” or  “touch” was occurring in the painting and this was what I was most interested in.

Access is very important in my practice so that was definitely something that drew me to focusing on hands as well.  In my earlier work I was interested in abstracting the figure in order to mask the identity of the figure. My goal had always been to create a figure that was able to speak to whomever was viewing it. A figure that encapsulated all of humanity. 

When I began to crop the figure out and only include hands I was not deleting the body of the figure but rather placing the body outside of the painting.  This was the next step for me to reference that the figure in the painting is in fact you! The viewer.  In recent paintings I have played more with this idea and have made paintings in a POV perspective.  Placing the viewer in the exact position for the hands to behave almost like an avatar entering into the painting.  My hope is that the hands can become an extension of the viewer’s body guiding them into the work.

Can you walk us through a day in the studio with Josiah Ellner?

A studio day for me usually begins in the early afternoon and can end anywhere from 5pm to 10pm. Each studio session looks pretty different depending on my energy level.  Some sessions I spend the entire time working on one painting.  Other days I might switch between four different paintings.  Adding final touches here and there. Some days in the studio I don’t paint at all and just focus on surface prep.  

In the studio my goal is always to not get bored.  So when it comes to deciding which painting to work on it’s usually whichever painting is calling for my attention or gets me most excited.  If none of the in progress paintings in the studio are doing that. I will start a new painting which is something that always gets me hyped!  Right now my biggest struggle in the studio is finishing anything!  So my studio is full of unfinished paintings.  Honestly it’s been a pretty chaotic summer in the studio.  But with the Fall semester fast approaching I am hoping for some more organization and stability.