4. Ella Vance

ARTIST STATEMENT

I’ve always been drawn to film and its inherent ability to transform individuals by immersing them in an illusion that surpasses the “here and now”. Over the course of the last two years, the pandemic has had a profound effect on the lens through which we view the world. Now more than ever, life is lived in vignettes. There is a liminality at present that creates an even stronger desire for a different world people can lose themselves in; an escape. Many of the recurring themes in my work are focused on the reflective nature of the human experience and the complex interplay between our outer and inner worlds. I want to use film to help people uncover hidden parts of themselves and create deeper connections to the world around them.

Film is a medium that allows us to transcend reality both as viewers and creators. In my work I try to take advantage of the omniscient quality of film, making visual space for thoughts, dreams, and feelings. To further emphasize the abstract, I frequently play with contrasting mediums and editing styles to create more complex experiences that require a deeper dive to digest. My creative process starts with a feeling that transforms into an image and develops into a story. I try to embrace the fluidity of creative energy to make room for spontaneity and experimentation, but my loyalty is always to the original feeling: a blueprint for each film to blossom from and a guidepost for each phase of development.

We are living in a world where digital communication is the backbone for human connection. It is also our escape. During these times of collective isolation, I want to create work that marries film and interactive media, with the goal of inspiring and challenging the public audience to use this liminal space as a platform for self-discovery.

ARTIST BIO

Ella Vance is an Australian-American filmmaker, writer and interactive media-maker living and working in Denver, CO. With a background in art film and interactive museum media, Ella’s creative practice is rooted in the use of film and media as an oneiric conduit for self discovery. Her 12 short films take on a variety of structures and themes that explore the inner worlds of each subject, whether real or fictional. Ella uses a variety of mediums to enhance the stories she tells, including: digital video, 16mm, Super8, web-based interactive experiences and audiovisual installations. Ella graduated with a BFA in Filmmaking from Minneapolis College of Art and Design and has had her film work featured in Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival and Side Stories 2019. Ella is currently in progress on an interactive installation and experimental film hybrid project inspired by Rilke's “Repository of Unlived Things”; an analog and digital compendium of lost moments and dreams.