Ellen Shire is a New York artist whose painting career melds the artistic history of the city of her birth with the historical richness of Europe.
Ms. Shire, the daughter of an original Martha Graham dancer (and painter) and a founding member of the Manhattan String Quartet, was herself a member of the New York City Ballet under the direction of George Ballanchine.
She also found parallel success as the writer and illustrator of more than seven children's books - one of which was a finalist for a National Book Award.
After her tenure with the NYCB, Ms. Shire divided her time between New York, Greece and Paris. Since 1980, Ms. Shire has concentrated entirely on the development of her painting. She says:
"There is a thread which runs through my life connecting all the events and professions I have pursued: Dance, music and writing were all strands that fused into the whole which for me is abstract painting.
"As painting became the focus of my life, artists such as the 17th century Dutch masters, Morandi, Rothko and my mother were paramount in shaping my vision.
"I work primarily with a limited number of mediums: Oil on canvas, acrylic, gouache and encaustic. I often combine these mediums, when appropriate and necessary to express my vision. Texture, too, plays an important part in my work.
"I layer paint on paint, as was done so exceptionally in the 17th century, in order to achieve the most subtle transitions of color and light. In this way, my work grows slowly from beneath the surface to the top rather than superficially from the top down. This produces a veracity and depth that cannot be achieved in any other way."
Solo Exhibitions
2007 Galerie 1816, Bretenoux, France
2007 Gallery Apotiki. Paros, Greece
2006 Château Castelnau, Prudhomat, France
2006 Galerie 1816, Bretenoux, France
2005 Bilderhaus Bornemann, Lübeck, Germany
2004 Mediatheque - Centre Culturelle, Paris
2004 Galerie Mireille Batut-d'Haussy, Paris
2002 25th Annual Small Works Show, New York
2002 Exit Art, Reactions, New York
2001 Asyl Gallery, New York
2001 Bilderhaus Bornemann, Germany
1999 Agios Athanasios (Naoussa); Paros, Greece:Asyl Gallery, New Yorks
1998 Bilderhaus Bornemann, Germany
1997 Asyl Gallery, New York
1996 Bilderhaus Bornemann, Germany
1995 Galerie Rolf Rückert, Paris
Bilderhaus Bornemann, Germany
1994 Galerie CCC; Paris, France
Walter Wickiser Gallery; New York
GEDOK Atelierhaus, Germany
1993 Galerie CCC; Paris, France
Galerie Reese, Lübeck, Germany
1992 Gallery David; New York, New York
1990 Gallery David; New York, New York
1989 Ronald Marc Feinstein Gallery; New York, New York
Group Exhibitions
2005 Galerie 1816, Bretenoux, France
2000 Bilderhaus Bornemann, Germany
1998 Bilderhaus Bornemann, Germany
1997 Galerie Z, New York, New York
1996 Gallery Z, New York, New York
Galerie Reese, Lübeck, Germany
1995 Galerie Rolf Rückert, Paris
Galerie CCC; Paris, France
1994 Galerie Reese; Lübeck, Germany
Galerie CCC; Paris, France
1993 Galerie CCC; Paris, France
1992 Ward-Nasse Gallery; New York, New York
1991 Gallery David; New York, New York
1988 Small Works Show; New York, New York
1986 Small Works Show; New York, New York
1985 Allan Stone Gallery; New York, New York
1984 Artists for Amnesty International Palma de Mallorca, Spain
1983 Second Annual Exhibit of Greek and International Artists, Paros, Greece
1982 First Annual Exhibit of Greek and International Artists, Paros, Greece
Awards
1996 Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant
1994 Artist Studio Exchange Program: GEDOK, Lübeck; sponsored by Ministerium Für Kultur, Kiel
Artist in Residence
1995 Schleswig-Holsteinisches Künstlerhaus, Germany
1994 GEDOK Atelierhaus, Germany
Public / Corporate Collections
Volksbank; Lübeck, Germany
The BISYS Group, Inc., New York