METROPOLIS SCROLLING Metropolis Scrolling is a series of narrative paintings that create symbolic landscapes derived from pop culture and media-related references along with personal accounts. My artworks have a clear mix of painterly abstraction and symbolic figurative narratives. This body of work is my expressive contribution to the ever-evolving conversation of visual arts; my work relies heavily on personal, distinct symbolism that weaves a non-linear story of joy, chaos, resolve and determination. Through a series of improvised choices, I create layered drawings and paintings that bounce, slice and invite the viewer to partake in an unorthodox journey where they may pick up on little gems and fantastical, thought-provoking imagery. Representations of daily objects mix and mingle with non-objective lines and shapes that appear in my work. My hope is to capture mundane imagery that highlights humor, absurdity and survival through gesture, marking, color, symbolic representation and scale. Elijah Hill, 2021
As an artist, my voice is a clear mix of painterly abstraction and symbolic figurative narratives. I make drawings, paintings, photographs and digital images out of collaged personal narratives, translating my experience as a young Black man raised in Washington, D.C. into imagery. Similar to how a psychic might point a client in a particular direction based on a reading, my artwork contains visual symbolic clues and references for the viewer to enjoy.
This body of work was created during a competitive summer 2021 St. Mary's Undergraduate Research Fellowship under the mentorship of Professor Carrie Patterson and made possible by the Office of the Provost and the St. Mary's Foundation.
Elijah Hill makes poignant commentary that is brilliantly saturated, unmistakable in its dynamic color, and peppered with pop culture icons that seem at once recognizable and completely new. Each work is alive with neon electricity, while distinctly stratified with layers of complexity surprising details await discovery. The artworks in Metropolis Scrolling are sometimes mysterious and infinitely meaningful. There is power in the glimpses of the artist as interwoven with intellectualism, satire, criticism and hope. There is lyricism here - this is a kind of visual poetry. Erin Peters, PhD, 2021
"Wel,Come All," 2021 Acrylic and paper on canvas 52" x 36" x 2"
"A.A.S.B.I.M.B." 2021 Acrylic on canvas 30" x 36" x 2"
"Of. tobemovedbysurveillance," 2021
Acrylic and paper on canvas 52" x 36" x 2"
"AMazed tobeseen," 2021 Acrylic and paper on canvas 32" x 42" x 2"
"I'Tol'J'Y'All," 2021 Acrylic on paper 12" x 16"
"Solve Et Coagula," 2021 Acrylic on canvas 56" x 72" x 2"
"Wel,Come All," 2021 Acrylic on paper 12" x 16"
"A.A.S.B.I.M.B." 2021
Acrylic on paper 12" x 16"
"Of. tobemovedbysurveillance," 2021
Acrylic on paper 12" x 16"
"AMazed tobeseen," 2021 Acrylic on paper 12" x 16"
"I'Tol'J'Y'All," 2021
Acrylic on paper 12" x 16"
"timeflies," 2021 Acrylic on paper 12" x 16"
"Solve Et Coagula," 2021 Acrylic on paper 12" x 16"
"can’t be seen thru to completion," 2021 Acrylic on paper 12" x 16"
"slighted perceptions," 2021 Acrylic on paper 12" x 16"
"… but WORDZ could ever hurt me," 2021 Acrylic on paper 12" x 16"
"a familial stretch," 2021 Acrylic on paper 12" x 16"
"Multifarious-adjacent," 2021 Acrylic on paper 12" x 16"
"dem boys from over yonder," 2021
Acrylic on paper 12" x 16"
"… up close, non-confrontational," 2021 Acrylic on paper 12" x 16"
"Elementary.Meridian," 2021 Acrylic on paper 12" x 16"
"Gimme my two, no self-serve," 2021
Acrylic on paper 12" x 16"
"Hollywood²," 2021 Acrylic on paper 12" x 16"
"Theycare," 2021
Acrylic on paper 12" x 16"
"Salt, Bland, or nothing Bad," 2021 Acrylic on paper 12" x 16"
"McLivin', Y'all Lovin' It," 2021
Acrylic on paper 12" x 16"
Thanks to: Art and Art History Dept Drama Queen Graphics SMCM Foundation
Carrie Patterson Office of the Provost SURF Program
Boyden Gallery and Collection Staff: Erin Peters, PhD, Director Daniel Mixson, Gallery Co-Manager Kaidyn {KD) Sexton, Gallery Co-Manager Emily Smith, Consulting Collections Manager
Thank you MSAC! To discover more about the Maryland State Arts Council and how they impact Maryland, visit msac.org.
Boyden Gallery is located on the 2nd floor of Montgomery Hall on the St. Mary’s College of Maryland campus Gallery Hours: T-F 11-6, Sat 11-4 www.smcm.edu/boyden-gallery/
EXHIBITION AND EVENTS ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC