Ellen Slupe

imagesSlupe is fascinated with straight lines. Straight sided shapes tumble in space or become organized into over-layered generations of colors that suggest stripes or plaids framed within a color field. In others, scribed lines march in parallel rows across the painted surfaces. The process reveals hidden colors and simultaneously gives the appearance of a veiled lacy outer wrapping to the surface. The repetitious mark making suggests records of activities and things that keep steady rhythm or pulse that we aren't always aware of - like heart beats, seconds of the day, cycles of the planets, life cycles, etc. all repeating over and over again. Each mark has its own character that influences the outcome of the work- sometimes beautiful color combinations surface, other times the colors are so similar that the marks disappear. The repetition of scribed line was a direct influence from seeing the late Warren Rohrer's work at the Philadelphia Art Museum. He applied many small brush strokes of paint over the surface, covering all but the smallest specks of color that peek through. That constant steady repetition fascinated her and she began to explore it in her own work, but not as an additive process as he did. Instead Slupe used a subtractive process that scratched away the existing surface; as erosion rather than the blanket of gentle gradations of color.Ellen Slupe is an artist, writer, and co-owner of Pfenninger Gallery in Lancaster. She was born and raised in Lancaster County and of Pennsylvania Dutch and Danish heritage. Her early path in science led to a BS in pre-med biology from Elizabethtown College followed by research at Scripps Institute and Research Foundation in La Jolla CA and at the Hershey Medical Center. The careful, meticulous, repetitive work with controlled disciplined routine utilized in research is not too far removed from the line quality showing up in her current artwork. In 1995 Slupe earned a BFA from Millersville University, entered the arts community full of enthusiasm and never looked back. She has since developed an extensive exhibit history with invitational solo and juried group exhibits at many locations both nationally and internationally. Her art is in local private collections and in national collections in San Jose Ca, Phoenix AZ, Los Angeles CA, Bowie MD, Woods Hole MA, Columbia CT, Hubbard OH, Baltimore MD, Ocala FL, Philadelphia PA, Trenton NJ, Wilmington DE to mention a few, as well as international collections in Bjuv Sweden, Firenze Italy, Seoul and Germany. Slupe writes art reviews of exhibits in central Pennsylvania for Art Matters a Philadelphia Art Magazine. In addition to writing reviews of other artist's work, she had the good fortune to be reviewed by many Lancaster writers, as well as interviewed by Damon Boughamer of WITF, Tom Burlington of Channel 21 TV News and Rolando Giovannini on Tuscano Cable TV in Firenze Italy.Slupe is Board Member of New Arts Program in Kutztown, past Director of Board for Philadelphia Tri State Artists Equity and past Board Member for Lancaster County Art Association and York Art Associations. Slupe served as portfolio reviewer for the State of Delaware. She is charter member of National Museum of Women in the Arts in DC, and member of The Philadelphia Museum of Art and numerous local museums and non-profit art organizations.