Ellen Pil is fascinated by the position of man in times of far-reaching digitization, robotization and mass production. Humanity reproduces, manipulates and perfects in its quest for an ideal. Astonished by the possibilities we have created for ourselves to bend reality to our will, Pil wonders what the story of man still is in it and what place the individual has.
In her artistic process she uses partly the same tools and strategies as professional image builders. From a digital archive and using graphic programs, she explores different scenarios by continuously sketching, adjusting, cutting and polishing shapes and images, as if in a digital setting that can be endlessly reconfigured. From that digital studio, some images make the leap to a — much slower and more thoughtful — analog process, where they are applied to canvas in layers of acrylic and airbrush paint.
For Pil, the digital and analog process merge seamlessly, no matter how different they are. Her painted works clearly show their digital roots. The chosen materials and colors, the interaction between 2D and 3D, the gradients and shadows give a mechanical impression, as if a machine was involved.
What they tell, however, are highly personal observations — bizarre stories, unusual anecdotes, or fascinating objects that Pil has found. Growing up in a small village where “people do things as they have always been done”, she is fascinated by what happens when things just don't turn as they should, when the machine stops, because of errors, disturbed patterns or rhythms. Like a child pushing buttons in the factory to see what's happening, she's constantly exploring possibilities — eternally curious. She is also inspired by the richness of the language. She literally makes things turn square, wonders how the Band Zonder Naam differs from the Bond Zonder Naam, or what happens when we just look the received horse in the mouth.
Pil breaks through what has rusted and leaves the viewers with wonder at what they thought they knew. Nothing is what it seems. The possibilities are endless.