Octoberelyce

For the month of October, the Annex Gallery is exhibiting Elyce Elder's mixed-media work. October is the month to celebrate all things creepy, post-mortem, subversive, and on the edge of not-quite-right. Elder's show, "Octoberelyce," not only pays homage to the spooky month of October but also combines her eclectic interests and love of the morbid that permeate her life. 

Elder has been fascinated by dark humor and finds joy in incorporating this into her work. Often, the ideas for her work begin with something that makes her laugh. For example, her sculpture titled "Pet Ghosts" comes from a thought that entertained Elder: "I woke up one morning, and I couldn't stop laughing," Says Elder. "Wouldn't it be great if we had pet ghosts? But then I laughed because they would get right out." 

Elder also draws on personal experience in her work. While her crocheted work titled "Hand of Glory" refers to an old practice of severing and preserving a murderer's hand, it is also a way for her to explore her relationship with her own hands. "I have a lot of trouble with my hands. I've lost feeling in my hands due to injury, so I'm always thinking, how much time do I have left to use them?" The "Hand of Glory" has a psychological element to it as it holds both her sadness about her injury and her joy of making as Elder wonders how long she will have the ability to use her hands to make art. While many of the themes in “Octoberelyce” may seem dark and sinister, to Elder they are a celebration of her favorite things.

The show can be viewed anytime in the Gallery Annex through the month of October: Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. The works can also be viewed and purchased on our online gallery through November.