Surrealistic Assemblages
Assemblage Art
Whereas before I created assemblages inspired by historical stories, in the year 2023, my focus lies on combining diverse materials. This automatically gives rise to new stories in the form of curio cabinets and standalone sculptures.
With this work, I align myself with a world where different realities seem to coexist, and where the boundary between what is true and what is not becomes increasingly blurred.
On one hand, I feel the need to retreat into my own fantasy world, and on the other hand, to express the absurdities within contemporary society, not shying away from a touch of sarcastic humor.
In this way, it remains a continuous quest for materials and combinations that evoke an atmosphere of doubt and wonder.
My work falls under the category of 'recycled art': it gives a second life to materials that are typically discarded, and also a second life to those who once truly existed, as working with animal remains still holds my preference.
PREVIOUS PROJECTS:
Heilige Huisjes (Sacred Cows)
I graduated in 1995 with the theme 'Heilige Huisjes' ('Sacred Cows'): a series of three theatrical bags with a nod to religious heritage.
Vrouwen Bestempeld (Women Labeled)
After a short period as an art teacher I made a side step to a musical career as a percussionist.
In 2012 I returned to visual arts again, starting with a series about ten strong women from (religious) history.
In 2014 my book 'Vrouwen Bestempeld' was created from this.
Het Maagdenkabinet (Cabinet of Virgins)
In 2015 we decided to travel and because my workspace and storage was limited, I decided to make small reliquaries based on religious and magical events from each place we
visited.
This resulted in: 'Het Maagdenkabinet' consisting of 55 reliquaries in total.
Het Knekelkabinet (The Cabinets of Bones)
In between travelling, I work on slightly larger objects, with skulls of small animals, still based on historical events.
One part about saints is housed in De Hele Santenkraam 2015-2022 (The Cabinets of Saints)
A special part, based on the Saints of the Roman catacombs is housed in De Gulden Knekelgalerij (The Golden Gallery)
Oh Deer ... 2023
Hunters label their trophies with numbers. By giving each roe deer skull a unique identity, I elevated them from numbered objects to individuals.
Vreemde vogels (Strange Birds) 2023 - current work
After delving into devotional history, I am gradually detaching myself from it and my focus is
more on searching for and combining organic forms with man-made objects.
I try to create a unity that again arouses confusion, surprise or wonder. Vreemde Vogels
Digital or physical photo books can be ordered for all projects.
Take a look at my PORTFOLIO
Detail 'Reaching out to M.M.' (Series Strange Birds)
Ellen Eva Brouwers 2023
Deer with the Pearl (Series Oh Deer ...)
Ellen Eva Brouwers 2023
'Corpus Corvus' (Series Golden Gallery)
Ellen Eva Brouwers 2018
A Mysterious Mix of Wonder and Doubt
Because charnels, or bones, often play a role in popular devotion, I describe my assemblages as storytelling charnel cabinets. Together with the underlying stories, based on historical facts or traditions, they form a whole: I therefore consider myself a storyteller in which my charnel cabinets are the medium.
I try to evoke a mysterious mix of wonder and doubt, inherent in traditions and legends. The mystical surrounding, and the theatrical expression of popular devotion, as stories about the lives of saints and reliquary,are a lasting fascination for me.
The use of bird skulls
The use of skulls and bones in relic worship is centuries old: seeing and/or touching them is said to have a healing effect, but at the same time we also find them somewhat sinister: after all, they remind us of the unavoidable end.
I limit myself to skulls of small found dead animals, preferably bird skulls. I do the preparation myself from start to finish. Combining them with beautiful fabrics and objects gives them an alienated mix of attraction and repulsion and that is exactly what I want to achieve in my work.
The CABINET of BONES
'Het Laatste Voedermaal en de Vreemde Eend in de Bijt'
Ellen Eva Brouwers 2020
During the first Covid 19 lockdown in 2020, various challenges were organized on internet. One of these was the imitation of paintings by famous masters. Likewise, the Last
Supper was used as a subject numerous times.
To stay in my own imagery, I formed the Last Supper from songbird skulls, using a duck skull for the apostle John to the right of Jesus.
The last part in the title:...een Vreemde Eend in de Bijt, is a Dutch saying which means in English: ‘a stranger in our mids'.
Litterly translated it says: ‘a Strange Duck in our Group’', so that is why I used the skull of a duck.
Many paintings shows this apostle depicted as a very androgynous appearance and often in a special emotional relationship to Jesus.
After the book of The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown), a comparison with Mary Magdalene is indispensable. I have therefore positioned her in arm with the host.
More pictures of The Cabinet of Bones
The Golden Gallery
'St. Catharina'
Assemblage Ellen Eva Brouwers 2020
The Golden Gallery holds a separate place within the Cabinet of Bones.
The objects, all framed in antique copper display cases, are inspired by the so-called 'catacomb saints'.
In 1578, an underground cemetery was accidentally discovered in Rome, where the skeletons of thousands of people from the 1st to 3rd century AD were found and considered as murdered Catholic
martyrs.
They were transported to German-speaking countries to replace the holy relics that had been looted and destroyed there by the Protestants.
Often by nuns, the skeletons were artfully decorated with gold and jewelry of indulgences (gifts in the form of money to buy off their sins in order to get a place in heaven), and were
displayed in churches.
For more than three centuries, these 'Holy bodies' acted as miracle workers and patron saints of their parishes, until doubts arose about its authenticity towards the end of the 19th century,
From that time on, they gradually became a source of shame for the Catholic Church and unfortunately, most of them were destroyed or hidden.
In my search for relics, both literally and figuratively, I often used a flashlight to see the details. Flashlights are available during this exhibition for you, to share this exciting experience!
An English PDF version from my book is available during the exhibition.