Stephen Ellis Explores Digital Space Through Paintings at Von Lintel Gallery

Stephen Ellis presented seven oil and alkyd on linen paintings at Von Lintel Gallery from September 6 to October 13, 2012. The New York-based artist's tenth solo exhibition at the gallery embraced digital space, building on his previous engagement with photographic and cinematic realms. Works like Untitled (39 by 60 inches) featured horizontal orientations with compartmentalized sections suggesting architectonics, yet maintaining visual instability. Ellis employed a technique where ambient light bounced off white grounds or high-keyed underpainting, passing through glazes to create a backlit, glowing effect reminiscent of lightboxes or liquid crystal displays. His palette remained within traditional oil pigment ranges, but achieved dazzling color through optical layering rather than digital simulation. The exhibition included paintings such as Marine (26 by 36 inches) with crimson fields and yellow-ochre swirls, and a large Untitled (48 x 84 inches) featuring a broken grid and parallelogram apertures framing anthropomorphic blurs. Ellis incorporated mechanical gestures that parodied painterly calligraphy, alongside repetitive patterns evoking computer-modeled forms. The show demonstrated his expansion from conceptual abstraction into new technical territory while maintaining formal poise and playful spirit.