Gordon Ellis-Brown’s practice oscillates between social and environmental concerns ranging from ancient history to pop-culture, sustainability to space science; interests he credits to growing up in a seaside hotel in the 1970s, as well as childhood memories of American Westerns, the Apollo space missions and the unworldliness of television tropes broadcasting alien visitations.
Working with a range of media including print, paint, found imagery, raw and metallic pigments, photographic collage and resin, Ellis-Brown composes rigorously constructed compositions which recall the aesthetic of advertising or product design.
Inspired by the creativity and spirituality of pre-modern cultures, Ellis-Brown explores humanity’s connection to the natural world, revealing hidden connections between conflicting cultural traditions and belief systems. Often working in diptych format, he creates a dynamic conversation between these seemingly opposed positions as well as between notions of perfection and imperfection; for example the use of pure painted colour and the idiosyncrasies of early printing processes.
Ellis-Brown draws on his graphic design roots, using iconic imagery, immersive colour and ancient symbolism. Focusing on each image before relocating its context is a way of celebrating the enduring materiality of images whilst safeguarding the vulnerability of others. This dissonance subverts, disrupts and enriches our recognition of the visual world.
Ellis-Brown has exhibited widely in the UK and abroad, including the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. His work is held in private collections throughout the world and he is a member of the Newlyn Society of Artists.