By Rae Hellard

From October 2010 to January 2011, documentary photographer Ellen Eisenman will be presenting her work at the McConnell Arts Center of Worthington. This artist has been an active photographer and social worker for more than forty years, and she uses her experiences in human culture and social issues throughout her art.

This exhibition, Cultural Reflections, will showcase photos that capture different aspects of human condition and struggling. Using digital prints, Eisenman stitches together and combines photographs to express her personal connection with social problems. Thread, wire, beads, stones and shells are all used to complement her contemporary spin on cultural lifestyle.

The theme of the exhibit focuses mainly on Ohio’s cultural workers and the work that goes into the creative process. Building and maintaining art, communities, relationships and architecture are all themes that Eisenman uses to demonstrate her artistic persona. Ethnic workers coming from diverse backgrounds and traditions are namely what Eisenman photographs, representing the melting pot of cultures to be found in Ohio. Her drive to capture the life around her, such as random faces, picket lines or workplaces, allows Eisenman to fuse these images into something that reflects both the just and the unjust society we live in.
Eisenman’s familiarity with the artistic and the social realm of life pushed her to create these patchwork pieces, all in an effort to promote a more honest and moral society. For more information about this gallery exhibit, visit www.mcconnellarts.org, or call 614-431-0329.


Photo Courtesy of the McConnell Arts Complex