Ellen Norrish

Ellen Norrish (b.1993) is a representational painter currently based in Geraldton, WA. Her practice involves the careful reproduction of accumulated everyday objects and imagery in thick oil paint. Addressing the simultaneous pleasure and problem of excessive image accumulation, Ellen seeks to examine the role of photography and painting in imaging contemporary life. Ellen graduated from Curtin University with Fine Art Honours in 2016 where she was the recipient of the NAVA Ignition Award for Professional Practice and the Free Range Gallery Graduate Award. Ellen was also nominated and successfully chosen to exhibit in the HATCHED National Graduate Show at the Perth Institute of Contemporary art where she was one of two artists awarded Highly Commended by the Schenberg Art Fellowship judges.

Image credit: Tully Clayton

ARTIST STATEMENT 'WIP' (Work in Progress) 2018 – Ellen Norrish

Working towards her solo show at Spectrum Arts Space in 2019, Ellen continues to develop her latest series of paintings ‘The Tin Heads’. The series is an unconventional portrait of the Midwest’s avid Tin collectors Margaret and Robert Gaston. The playful works portray a sense of kitsch, care and community in regional Australia. 

ARTIST STATEMENT 'reincarnation' 2018 - Ellen Norrish

The series Painting Over Kyle follows the life of a fifty metre mural by West Australian artist Kyle Hughes-Odgers painted on the walls of the Geraldton Regional Art Gallery in December 2017. Having helped paint the mural, and then paint over it a month later, I have ‘reincarnated’ it in oils using documentation images from my iPhone. Appropriating Kyle’s mural allows me to explore the many thematic layers of labor, commodification and the value of both painting and snapshot photography.

Curriculum Vitae

ELLEN-NORRISH-ARTIST-CV.pdf (pdf 599kB)

Exhibitions

• Thu 16 May - Tue 28 May 2019 'The Tin Heads' @ Spectrum Project Space, ECU in conjunction with STALA CONTEMPORARY - Ellen Norrish

  STALA CONTEMPORARY proudly presents ‘The Tin Heads’ by Ellen Norrish at Spectrum Project Space, ECU. This is an exhibition celebrating an ever-growing collection of 10,000 tins owned by retirees Margaret and Robert Gaston. The couple display the tins in a large shed on their farm in Waggrakine, a suburb on the outskirts of Geraldton in Western Australia’s Mid West region. 

  * 'The Tin Heads' body of work is now part of the  'Alternative Archive' exhibition on show at Geraldton Regional Art Gallery' 31 May - 20 July 2019 *

• Tue 11 Dec - Sat 12 Jan 2019 'WIP' (Work in Progress) - Group Exhibition (Image courtesy Ian Williams artist)

  STALA CONTEMPORARY is proud to celebrate the opening of its new gallery premises with a celebratory group exhibition 'WIP (Work in Progress' running 11 -29 December 2018. Featuring an exuberant and eclectic assembly of 17 exceptional artists:

  Adam Hisham Ismail/ Alex Maciver/ Anna Sabadini/ Anne Walmsley/ Ayad Alqaragholli/ Denise Pepper/ Di Cubitt/ Ellen Norrish/ Jarrad Martyn/ Kathryn Haug/ Kim Hyunji/ Liam Dee/ Marcia Espinosa/ Michelle Hyland/ Richard Healy/ Sue Leeming/ Wade Taylor

  Affordable/Collectable Art from the West End Arts Precinct to you!

  Image courtesy Ian Williams artist

   

• Tue 13 Mar - Fri 23 Mar 2018 'reincarnation' - Group Exhibition

  'reincarnation' is the first group exhibition to celebrate the launch of STALA CONTEMPORARY. Running TUESDAY 13 - Friday 23 March 'reincarnation' features a stellar line up of 13 diverse and dynamic contemporary artists from WA, Melbourne and Sydney,. STALA CONTEMPORARY is thrilled to be featuring painting, drawing and sculptures by Richard Healy (Sydney), Kim Hyunji (Melbourne), Kathryn Haug, Jarrad Martyn, Alex Maciver, Wade Taylor, Michelle Hyland, Di Cubitt, Ayad Alqaragholli, Marcia Espinosa, Anne Walmsley, Ellen Norrish and Adam Hisham Ismail.

  Participating artists have been invited to exhibit new or recent works that respond to the theme of reincarnation.

Works