Eli Stevick: Artist Portfolio


I create images because of my desire to create worlds.  My work is based on personal absurdist narratives. I start my art-making process with writing. I continuously add new complexities to my current short fiction, Roys, Beans, and Outer Space.  This story involves American astronauts being shot off in rockets to Neptune during a nuclear escape from planet earth.


On the planet they encounter a new living environment and an alien species they call the Roys.  The astronauts eat to Roys to supplement their protein.  Their interactions lead to the creation of new factions such as anthropologists, and Man-Roy.


            Each faction represents an extreme personification of simple personality traits.  For example the astronauts are boyish, selfish, and blind to their cruelty.  The Roys are vulnerable, small, and feminine.  The living mountains don’t judge, they only observe with indifference and serve their function as landscape.  The Man-Roy are chaotic and have abandoned their sense of well-being in pursuit of pure satisfaction.  The anthropologists are caring and empathetic for the Roys.


            The relationships created by this narrative are an exaggerated model for the conflicts that exist in my own personality.  I make use of humor to keep the images accessible to an audience.  I also find the humor allows for me to be honest with the metaphors I create.  As a whole, the work represent a struggle for balancing morality, empathy, temptation and control.


            Since the narrative is simple and specific, I have methods for creating that reflect that.  In paintings and drawings I use a specific color palette: pink, tan, grey, green, black line and white.  I also make use of wood panel for color and texture on the living mountains.  My methods in sculpture are similar, limited color palette, and wood.


            Other mediums I explore include writing, music, performance, and printmaking.  I maintain the same visual consistency with these mediums as well.  For example I have performed as an anthropologist, nude and painted pink on exhibit in a degenerate astronaut zoo.  I have also performed as a preacher from outer space in a striped suit on a pink, white and wooden soap box backpack.


            I am creating an alternate mini-universe to be studied, laughed at, and investigated.  I want to instigate intelligent silly thoughts that can be applicable to observations outside of the silly realm.