Ellen Ehk | Geomancy
In her art Ellen works both methodically and intuitively. In many ways you could say that she personifies the new artist's role. Contemporary artists today seem to take on a role that was previously carried by many different professions; the adventurer, the priest, the journalist, the scientist, the shaman. What kind of discoveries can be made through a material?
"Slick stones in a river. The thought of water running over them, rushing, gushing. Soft algae that colour the surface, so surprisingly green, almost fluorescent. The next object; a coarse surface, seemingly volcanic, but originating from the forest. A knotted pine crouches down, appearing to be on the run, sneaking away from its place. What if the trees move during the night? Fittingly, the sculpture is called 'Night Tree' and came into being through Ellen Ehk Åkesson's research into the soul of nature.
Geomancy is a concept connecting diverse spiritual practices of fortune telling in natural elements such as sand, bone and pebble stones. It is a method practiced around the world in many different cultures, and the concept has guided forth new works by Ellen Ehk Åkesson, giving weight to the form of the material, the intention of the practitioner as well as the importance of chance. The spatial relationship between objects are central to the belief system and tells us how life here on earth is connected to planetary bodies. Within art, where the connection between form and intentions of the artist is of great importance, a concept such as geomancy is also fitting as it alludes to ancient relationships that artists have to many different materials."
/ Joanna Sandell Wright
