Ellen Roehne - Human Nature

Director’s Foreword

Ellen Roehne, Human Nature represents a chance to view the most recent work of my colleague, Ellen Roehne. This is the second time I have had the opportunity to work with Ellen on an exhibition of her work. Although, because of the Covid-19 pandemic, this exhibition is somewhat different, as it is a virtual exhibition.

During the pandemic, Ellen, like other artists, has been more focused on her artwork. This is evident in her latest body of work, where we see a very sharpened focus in the new work she is creating. While the work is beautiful to view in any venue, I truly wish others could see her works up-close, in person, as the work is more amazing when one can interact with it on a personal level.

In addition to her beautiful exhibition, I would also like to recognize Ellen’s continuing support of the arts in the Central Valley. Ellen’s gallery, the Chartreuse Muse, often showcases the artwork of many of the Stanislaus State students and faculty. Her continued involvement and support of local artists has amplified the community’s interest in the Arts.

I would like to thank Ellen Roehne for the privilege of exhibiting her wonderful work. Many colleagues have been instrumental in presenting this exhibition; Lisa McDermott who wrote an amazing essay, Brad Peatross of the College of the Arts, California State University, Stanislaus for the wonderful catalog design and Parks Printing for professional printing of this catalog.

Much appreciation is also extended to the Instructionally Related Activates Program of California State University, Stanislaus and to the anonymous donors for the funding of the exhibition and catalogue. Their support is greatly appreciated.

Dean De Cocker Director, University Art Galleries California State University, Stanislaus

Ellen Roehne - Human Nature

Artist Statement

This new body of work explores the nature of being human, with all our complexities and contradictions—our birth, growth, aspirations, and mortality. Many of the works reference the dualities of humankind—innocence and evil, strength and frailty, dominance and subservience, order and chaos. How we balance these parts of ourselves is what makes us who we are, influencing how we see our place in relation to others and our surroundings. The clay figures I create embody these attributes, often including ladders, bridges, and precariously stacked objects that allude to these dichotomies. The human condition is a subject that continues to surface in my work, examining our place in the natural world.

I work through chance and accident, continuously making conscious and subconscious choices until the work feels finished. Creating with clay and found objects is integral to the meaning behind each piece, allowing this fluidity to occur intuitively. Many of the new works are built in parts, evoking children’s toys such as dolls or puppets with disjointed limbs and heads. Figures are oftentimes in tentative relationships with one another, their spaces, and the objects they possess, begging the question, “Who is in control?” Is one in the role of the master and the other the puppet? This speaks to the larger question of who is directing our own lives. Do we have free will to make our own decisions or is there an omniscient power guiding our existence? This concept is also an important part of my creative process- letting go of control and allowing the clay to have a voice in the story I am telling. Through this method, hidden secrets may be revealed, providing answers that I might not even know I was seeking. This experimental approach is also part of the glazing process, which is often unpredictable, revealing surprises each time I open the kiln. The found objects in my work add a sense of mystery as well, questioning who owned them and what was their function. These may be gifts from friends, natural items discovered on long walks, or refuse discarded on the side of the road. I love to reimagine these objects and give them new meaning in relation to the figures I create.

Overall, my artwork examines what it means to be human, both the mundane and profound experiences we go through. Through my creative process, I strive to tell a story that relates to the viewer in our shared experience.

A Special Thanks

My family who endured my long hours away in the studio. My husband, Chris, for not complaining about me taking over the garage for the last few months. My daughter, Avery, for her brutal honesty and collaboration on Blood Lines. My son, Flynn, for all his tech help. Lisa Mc Dermott for her beautifully written essay. Jennifer Price for taking the wonderful photos. Brad Peatross for putting together the virtual exhibit and catalog and for answering all my questions. My dear friend, Liz, who listened so patiently during our long walks. To all those who lent me the work from their collections- James Deitz, Nicole Slater, Suzanne Staud, and Sandra Veneman. And finally, thanks to Dean De Cocker for making this exhibit possible.

One Track Mind, mixed media, 19” x 14” x 14”, 2021

Ellen Roehne

Lost. Abandoned. Discarded. Then discovered and transformed. Artists who incorporate found objects in their works are embracing the history and mystery inherent in these items. Ellen Roehne creates in this space, balancing the visible facts of an object and the stories she can imagine from them.

For more than 20 years Ellen’s sculptures have explored themes of memory and childhood. In her most recent body of work—fantastic assemblages of ceramic figures and found objects—she delves into the realm of toys, dolls, puppets, and the emotional connections we have with them. Whimsical and dreamlike, with play implied on many levels, these pieces evoke real memories or suggest stories we might have crafted in our youth. They also encourage us to think about how we balance the needs of the adult world against the lost freedoms of childhood. While earlier works focused on the found objects themselves, in recent years Ellen has spent more time creating new pieces in her ceramics studio. Playing with clay, experimenting with glazes, and embracing the happy accidents of the kiln has renewed her love of process. In developing a finished work, she returns constantly to the spontaneity of early maquettes in order to avoid the trap of perfectionism that can lead to self-doubt. The works are balanced between a refined concept and a sense of youthful freedom and fearlessness. The figures she builds from clay show the technical skill of a craftswoman as well as a childlike enthusiasm that plays to our imagination.

On first look we are drawn to the jointed limbs or wobbly heads of the figures central to the works. Like marionettes, they seem inclined to move but would never do so smoothly. These characters are assembled in a delicate imbalance that is both playful and precarious, like a game of Jenga or Tinkertoy construction. Referencing well-known idioms and popular children’s games, the artist sets us on a path of discovery. Each work holds layers of meaning bound together by the words and objects she applies to them.

Ellen’s titles often contain humorous wordplay that leads us into thoughtful reflection. One Track Mind might appear to be a common saying literally brought to life—a train track running across/through a disembodied head. But as we continue to look, we see the tracks are a miniature picket fence that likely first appeared in the landscape of a child’s doll house or toy train set. This connection is both metaphorical and physical; as the “track” moves up and around the figure, we feel transported from the dream of a child to the mind of an adult. How do our childhood memories impact our emotions and actions as adults? There is a journey from youth to maturity, from innocence to experience, within each of us.

References to innocence appear in several of the works. In Don’t Talk to Strangers, a girl, her face framed by a lamb’s wool hood, holds a hand puppet with disturbing features. The admonition of the title seems clearly to apply to this dangerous toy. As we think about the reference to lambs (meek, innocent, vulnerable) we might also find elements of the fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood. The child in that story is told not to talk to strangers, but she ignores that advice and ends up in dire straits with a wolf. The implication of her costume, alongside the image

Watching the Wheels, mixed media, 33.5” x 9” x 12.5”, 2021

of the puppet as an extension of both the child’s hand and imagination, could be interpreted as the child herself being the “wolf in sheep’s clothing” (or grandma’s nightdress). In some way, the piece suggests, our innocence inevitably fails us and we will be betrayed by the wolf within.

In Watching the Wheels, imagery drawn from a John Lennon song reflects Ellen’s interest in the precarious balancing act we do in our adult lives. Lennon sings of the pleasure he found in stepping back from fame and the rigors of the music industry:

I’m just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round

I really love to watch them roll

No longer riding on the merry-go-round

I just had to let it go

The simple elements that balance the sculpture include parts of toys and other references to childhood. As children we might be drawn to the fun and excitement of the “merry-go-round” that is grown-up life, unaware of the pressures and expectations that come with adult responsibilities. Once our innocent dreams have faded, we may long for our younger days and simpler pleasures. As in many of the pieces in the exhibition, there is a whimsical or carnivalesque quality to this figure that elicits a chuckle, but we are also keenly aware of the potential for disaster if the balance shifts.

Ellen’s studio is a treasure trove of small things, each saved for an imagined possibility. Broken, rusted, frayed, or just separated from the context that once gave them meaning, they are nestled into boxes—and into the artist’s memory—waiting their turn. Any one of these found objects may spark a new creative idea, but each may also eventually find the place where it fits into the perfect spot in a design, creating just the right metaphor.

As children, we used toys to invent stories we couldn’t live in our real lives—fictions that represented an escape from reality or a vision of our future. As adults we see more clearly the fine lines between real and imaginary, between innocence and disillusionment, between play and struggle, between dream and nightmare—these are tightropes that Ellen navigates bravely in her work. She finds balance in the combination of her handcrafted ceramic “characters” and the found objects that fit together so perfectly to tell their complex stories. Thankfully, Ellen’s sense of humor and playfulness provide the emotional safety net that allows us to keep discovering along with her.

Lisa McDermott, Director

Carnegie Arts Center, Turlock

Ellen Roehne CV

TEACHING

2003–2021 Lecturer, California State University, Stanislaus, Turlock, CA

2002–2014 Art Instructor - Youth and Adult, The Chartreuse Muse, Modesto, CA

2000–2021 Art Instructor - Kindergarten–6th Grade, Lakewood Elementary School Modesto, CA

2000–2003 Art Instructor - Youth and Adult, Central California Art League, Modesto, CA

2000–2003 Art Instructor - Kindergarten–8th Grade, California Arts Council, Stanislaus County, CA

1998–2003 Art Instructor - Kindergarten–8th Grade, STARS, Stanislaus County, CA

1998–2000 Visiting Lecturer, Modesto Junior College, Modesto, CA

1998–2000 Art Instructor, Guardian Rehabilitation Center, Modesto, CA

1998 Art Instructor - Kindergarten–8th Grade, Harvey Milk Center, San Francisco, CA

1996–1998 Art Instructor - Kindergarten–6th Grade, LEAP, San Francisco, CA

1994–1998 Art Instructor - Kindergarten–3rd Grade, Katherine Michael’s School, San Francisco, CA

PROFESSIONAL

2002–2021 Co-owner and Art School Director, The Chartreuse Muse, Modesto, CA

2000–2021 Art Curriculum Director, Lakewood Elementary School Modesto, CA

1999–2003 Gallery Director, Central California Art League, Modesto, CA

1999–2003 Art Curriculum Director, CCAL Art School, Modesto, CA

1998 Summer Arts Director, Harvey Milk Center, San Francisco, CA

1994–1998 Art Program Director, Katherine Michael’s School, San Francisco CA

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2020 BEING (Human), FDC, California State University, Stanislaus, Turlock, CA

2019 Many Mini Memories, The Chartreuse Muse, Modesto, CA

2016 Transformations, FDC, California State University, Stanislaus, Turlock, CA

2015 Labels Installation, The Chartreuse Muse, Modesto, CA

2011 Recent Work, Teagues, Longview, WA

2007 Lost and Found, University Art Gallery, California State University, Stanislaus, Turlock, CA

2005 The Muse, The Chartreuse Muse Gallery, Modesto, CA

1999 Animal Tales- Performance and Installation, Oakland Museum, Oakland, CA

1999 New Work, CCAL Gallery, Modesto, CA

1998 Girls, Boys, and Toys, Art Annex Gallery, Berkeley, CA

1998 Labels, John F. Kennedy University Gallery, Berkeley, CA

1997 Tea Dreams, The Art Explosion Gallery, San Francisco, CA

1993 Figures on the Wall, Lew Oliver Gallery, Chico, CA

1993 Dreams, University Gallery, California State University, Chico, Chico, CA

1992 Elements, Phoenix Gallery, Chico, CA

1991 The Figure, Sienna Gallery, Chico, CA

COLLABORATIVE EXHIBITIONS

2019 Things We Carry, The Chartreuse Muse, Modesto, CA

2019 Tiny Anomalies, The Chartreuse Muse, Modesto, CA

2015 Speech Patterns, The Chartreuse Muse, Modesto, CA

2012 Figures of Speech, The Chartreuse Muse, Modesto, CA

2011 Found Again, The Chartreuse Muse Gallery, Modesto, CA

2009 2 Muse, The Chartreuse Muse Gallery, Modesto, CA

2007 Opening, The Chartreuse Muse Gallery, Modesto, CA

2004 Women’s Work, The Chartreuse Muse Gallery, Modesto, CA

2001 Outside the Box, Modesto Art Center Gallery, Modesto, CA

2001 Three Women Sculptors, Carnegie Arts Center Gallery, Turlock, CA

2000 The Art of Recycling, Stanislaus County Fairgrounds, Turlock, CA

1999 Opening Tricks, Festival of the Arts, Berkeley, CA

1998 Women Artists- New Work, Central California Art League Gallery, Modesto, CA

1997 Calcinatio, The Art Explosion Gallery, San Francisco, CA

1997 Between Dreams, Arts Annex Gallery, Berkeley, CA

1992 Figurative Sculpture, California State University, Humboldt, Arcata, CA

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2020 100 by 10, Art Space, Turlock, CA

2017 CSU Stanislaus Faculty Exhibition, Art Space on Main, Turlock, CA

2012–2020 The Art of Justice- Annual Exhibition, Stanislaus Family Justice Center, Modesto, CA

2012 The Many Faces of Clay, Mistlin Gallery, Modesto, CA

2010 Pets and Their People, The Chartreuse Muse Gallery, Modesto, CA

2009 Games People Play, The Chartreuse Muse Gallery, Modesto, CA

2008 Beauty for Ashes, The Chartreuse Muse Gallery, Modesto, CA

2006 Spring, The Chartreuse Muse Gallery, Modesto, CA

2004 Hildegaard Festival, California State University, Stanislaus, Turlock, CA

2004 Alumni Exhibition, John F. Kennedy University Gallery, Berkeley, CA

2004 Faculty Show, University Gallery, California State University, Stanislaus, Turlock, CA

2003 Beginnings, The Chartreuse Muse Gallery, Modesto, CA

1999 What is Art For?, Oakland Museum, Oakland, CA

1998 Human Habit, William King Regional Arts Center, Abingdon, VA

1998 Lead Into Gold, Gallery Route One, Point Reyes, CA

1998 Animals and Their People, Sebastopol Center for the Arts, Sebastopol, CA

1998 An Homage to Inspiration, Danville Fine Arts Gallery, Danville, CA

1998 Re-Membering, Arts Annex Gallery, Berkeley, CA

1998 Graduate Exhibition, John F. Kennedy University Gallery, Berkeley, CA

1998 Trash Into Treasures, YWCA Gallery, Oakland, CA

1997 Journey Into Wholeness, Center for the Visual Arts, Oakland, CA

1997 Collage and Assemblage, Arts Benicia, Benicia, CA

1997 Spring Show, The Art Explosion Gallery, San Francisco, CA

1996 A Woman’s Worth, Wednesday’s Gallery, Santa Cruz, CA

1996 Bay Area Artists, The Art Explosion Gallery, San Francisco, CA

1996 13th Annual Dream Art Exhibit, Claremont Resort, Berkeley, CA

1995 Summer Art Show, The Art Explosion Gallery, San Francisco, CA

1995 Open, The Art Explosion Gallery, San Francisco, CA

1993 California Clay Competition, The Artery, Davis, CA

1993 37th Annual Student Exhibition, California State University, Chico, Chico, CA

1992 Feats of Clay, Lincoln Arts Center, Lincoln, CA

1992 California Works, California State Fair, Sacramento, CA

1992 National Women’s Month Show, Planned Parenthood, Chico, CA

1991 It Figures, Ayres Gallery, Chico, CA

1987 Romerike Art Show, Radhus Gallery, Jessheim, Norway

1986 International Art Exhibit, Romerike Gallery, Jessheim, Norway

PUBLIC ART WORKS

2000 Wood Sculpture Garden Installation, Stanislaus County Fairgrounds, Turlock, CA

2000 Dutcher Dolphins, Mural, Dutcher Elementary School, Turlock, CA

2000 Y 2 Kick the Habit, Project Alive Mural, Modesto High School, Modesto, CA

1999 Don’t Let Your Life Go Up in Smoke, Project Alive Sculpture, Modesto, CA

1999 Don’t Smoke, Project Alive Mosaic, La Loma Junior High School, Modesto, CA

1999 Summer, Central California Art League Mural, Modesto, CA

1999 Through the Eyes of a Child, STARS Mural, Julien Elementary School, Modesto, CA

1998 Our School, LEAP Mural, John Yehall Chin Elementary School, San Francisco, CA

1996 Art Explosion, Horizons Teen Program Mural, San Francisco, CA

GRANTS/AWARDS/RESIDENCIES

2000–2003 Arts Enrichment Grant, Central California Art League, Modesto, CA

1999–2002 California Arts Council Grant, Artist in Residence, Stanislaus County, CA

1999–2000 Project Alive Grant, Stanislaus County Arts Council, Modesto, CA

1998 Susan Seddon Boulet Award, Berkeley, CA

1998 Award of Merit, The Flame, Berkeley, CA

1992 Summer Arts Scholarship, California State University, Humboldt, Arcata, CA

1986 First Place, Tehama County Art Competition, Red Bluff, CA

BIBLIOGRAPHY

2009 “Their Own Muse” The Modesto Bee, September 11, 2009

2008 “Beauty for Ashes” Lifewind Publications, October 2008

2007 “Lost and Found” Exhibition Catalog, California State University, Stanislaus, Turlock, CA

2005 Pethoud, Kathi. “Gallery Has Had a Hand” The Modesto Bee, October 2, 2005

2005 Millegan, Lisa. “The Chartreuse Muse” The Modesto Bee, September 16, 2005

2003 Hill, David. “A Work of Art for Trio” The Modesto Bee, February 2, 2003

2002 Millegan, Lisa. “Downtown Modesto” The Modesto Bee, December 22, 2002

2001 Stutzin, Leo. “Outside the Box” The Modesto Bee, October 5, 2001

2001 “Three Women Sculptors” TalkArts, Summer 2001

2001 “Artist’s Reception” Turlock Journal, July 27, 2001

2000 Holmes, Mark. “The Arts in Education” TalkArts, Winter 2000

2000 Flanders, Juline. “Artist in Residence” TalkArts, Winter 2000

2000 “Recycled Art Treasures Abound” TalkArts, Summer 2000

2000 “Art Show” Turlock Journal, April 19, 2000

1999 Gaiser-Sarraille, Lynn. “What’s New in Murals?” TalkArts, Spring 1999

1999 Hunt, Karen. “The Jury’s In” San Francisco Chronicle, February 12, 1999

1999 Brekke, Joe. “Opportunity Awaits” Turlock Journal, December 30, 1999

1999 Brekke, Joe. “Artists in Training” Turlock Journal, November 9, 1999

1999 “Mandala” John F. Kennedy University Gallery Catalog, Fall 1999

1998 “Re-Membering” Video Interview, September 8, 1998

1998 “Safe Sacrifice” The Flame, July/August 1998

1998 Lund, Nancy. “MFA Student Receives Award” The Flame, July/August 1998

1998 Street, April. “The Human Habit” William King Regional Arts Center Catalog, July 1998

1998 “Current Work” Television Interview, Sputnik’s Rocket to Stardom, May 1998

1997 “As Above, So Below” The Flame, July/August 1997

1996 Moyle, Marilyn. “Celebrating” Davis Enterprise, April 11, 1996

1994 “In the Spotlight” Chico State Newsletter, May 1994

1994 Schaffer, Ron. “3 Artists, 3 Visions” The Chico Orion, March 9, 1994

1993 Metz, Holly. “Woman on the Verge” Chico News and Review, December 9, 1993

1993 Barrett, Cory. “Chico: A City Known for its Artists” Chico Enterprise Record, August 20

1993 Liljequist, Peter. “Ominous Art” Chico News and Review, April 22, 1993

1993 Weir, Laura. “Ceramics of the First Order on Display” Davis Enterprise, April 1, 1993

1992 “Created at CSU Summer Arts” Humboldt University Catalog, Summer 1992

1987 Ytterhus, Bjorg “Elevutstilling I Radhuset” Jessheim Dagblad, February 3, 1987

1986 Haehre, Tom. “Folkehoyskole med Fagerik” Jessheim Dagblad, December 10, 1986

Acknowledgements

California State University, Stanislaus

Dr. Ellen Junn, President

Dr. Kimberly Greer, Provost/Vice President of Academic Affairs

Dr. James A. Tuedio, Dean, College of the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

Department of Art

Martin Azevedo, Associate Professor, Chair

Tricia Cooper, Lecturer

Dean De Cocker, Professor

James Deitz, Lecturer

Daniel Edwards, Associate Professor

Patrica Eshagh, Lecturer

Jessica Gomula-Kruzic, Professor

Daniel Heskamp, Lecturer

Chad Hunter, Lecturer

Dr. Carmen Robbin, Professor

Ellen Roehne, Lecturer

Dr. Staci Scheiwiller, Associate Professor

Susan Stephenson, Associate Professor

Jake Weigel, Associate Professor

Meg Broderick, Administrative Support Assistant II

Kyle Rambatt, Equipment Technician II

University Art Galleries

Dean De Cocker, Director

School of the Arts

Brad Peatross, Graphic Specialist II

Ellen Roehne - Human Nature

March 6–26, 2021 | Stan State Art Space, California State University, Stanislaus | 226 N. First St., Turlock, CA 95380

300 copies printed. Copyright © 2020 California State University, Stanislaus • ISBN 978-1-940753-56-0

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the publisher. This exhibition and catalog have been funded by Associated Students Instructionally Related Activities, California State University, Stanislaus.