Elizabeth Ernst and Dan Estabrook

Elizabeth Ernst and Dan Estabrook January 7 — February 26, 2005

Elizabeth Ernst: The G.E. Circus

In 1997, Elizabeth Ernst walked away from a successful career in the advertising world to focus attention on her own art, making photographs at various venues including the circus museum in Baraboo, WI, Coney Island before it opened for the season, and random carnivals that set up tents in small Midwestern towns. Consumed by the circus since an early age, her studio was overflowing with Schoenhut clowns, tattered dolls, antique stuffed animals and cases of her own photographs. Four years later, after making numerous pieces about circus life which addressed issues of celebration, loneliness and confinement, Ernst decided to design, fabricate and direct her own circus.

The G.E Circus combines her love of photographic storytelling with her love of sculpture. By modeling each figure out of Sculpey (which is then baked in an oven to harden) specifically to be photographed, Ernst's imagination unfolds and a cast of characters emerge: a juggler, fat lady, acrobat, a host of clowns and strange human-like animals. Once sculpted, Ernst carefully photographs each scene with a view camera and then prints on sensitized linen paper, mounts the paper to board, and finally collages and paints with acrylic. In her arena, animals control their handlers, freaks are the norm and cages are obsolete. The final result is an imagined world created by an artist who mixes social issues with the theater of the absurd to comment on the circus as we know it today.

We are pleased to exhibit more than twelve mixed media photographs along with her entire cast of performers, which currently totals more than twenty-five figures.

Dan Estabrook: Sleep and Nine Symptoms

For more than fifteen years, Dan Estabrook has worked with historical photographic techniques to explore intimate issues about love, sex and death. In his two newest series, Sleep and Nine Symptoms, he continues his use of antiquated processes – the calotype paper negative and salt print positive – turning the camera on his own body as he examines his wants, desires and fears. In Sleep, Estabrook presents images which obscure the division between the cognizant and dream states, as figures emerge and disappear into fading backgrounds, body parts levitate and dreams sprout visibly from a woman's pursed lips. In Estabrook's sleep state, one loses control, exposing secrets and flaws only realized upon waking.

In Nine Symptoms, Estabrook tackles the emotions he has experienced falling in love. With pieces titled "Shortness of Breath," "Heart Rate Increase," "Fever" and "Loss of Appetite," Estabrook evokes old medical photographs to directly confront the passion, obsession, apprehension and excitement brought on by love, as well as its loss. By employing the techniques and metaphors used by nineteenth-century practitioners, Estabrook is able to comment on the timelessness of his concerns and the enduring fascination with love, sex and death.

Elizabeth Ernst's images range in size from 11 x 14" to 18 x 24". All pieces are one of a kind gelatin silver prints with tissue and acrylic paint. Pieces range in price from $2200 to $4500.

Dan Estabrook's images from Nine Symptoms are available as 14 x 11" salt prints with ink made in editions of 5 for $3200. Price includes frame.

His images from Night & Day range from 4 x 5" to 16 x 20". All pieces are one of a kind pencil on waxed calotype negatives & salt prints. Pieces range from $1200 to $6500. Prices include frame.

All other images by Dan Estabrook vary between being unique pieces and editions of 3, and range in size from 5 x 7" to 15 x 17". Pieces vary from contemporary ambrotypes and tintypes with oil paint, to calotypes with graphite and salt prints with watercolor. Pieces range in price from $1500 to $6500.

Please call: (312) 266-2350 for prices of specific pieces.
Prices are print only unless otherwise indicated.