Ellen Alt

photograph by India Halsted

Interview by Noa Levy Baron

I use impressionist themes of french culture from my childhood, sometimes using childlike colors, but always capturing my influence.

In representing a lot of different women in no way do I intend to speak for them. I just hope to give them any sort of visibility or platform. I show their faces in the hope that their stories continue. I have the privilege to paint these paintings and tell the stories of these women and hopefully give them more of a platform for people to see their stories. I really do hope to send a political message with my art.

I’m influenced by Aliceville and her abstract portraiture work. I paint more as a commentary on the policing of women’s bodies and abortion rights, the work for these women to bring justice is also unfinished.

I think my process is more individualised without continuous access to a studio. Right now I think it’s even more my own process. I am being more extravagant with the colours I am using, it is a working palette. At times I literally brush to get paint off by brush.