Notocord
Black Mountain Clay, Glaze, Enamel
16” x 5” x 4”
Artist Statement:
I have always been intrigued by how the mind works, and that curiosity has taken me through two degrees in neuroscience and a legal career where I often had clients that experienced brain injury. I am exploring the sources of our emotion in ceramic pieces that reflect neurons and organs such as the heart, lungs and stomach. I am taking the microscopic world of neuronal structures to a large scale. I have sculpted retinal ganglion cells and bipolar cells that are over six feet tall to highlight the cellular structures that are the starting points of vision. Seeing anatomy in an artistic form can change the viewer’s conception of what physicality is, and hopefully give a new perspective on concepts such as mental health by making pieces that are interactive visually, but also physically, I want to create new mind spaces for the viewer. I want these mind spaces to be experiential and ideological, as well as beautiful.
Bio
Elizabeth McElwee Janss was born in Ohio, grew up in South Carolina and has called Los Angeles home for the past 16 years. She received her undergraduate degree and master’s degree in Neuroscience from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. She received her law degree from UC Law in San Francisco. Her ceramics often explore elements of the human body. Other pieces touch upon a magical reality spun from a love of science and punk rock. When not creating art, Elizabeth spends time with her three children, tiny dog named Zeus, giant horse named Benji and the cuddliest cat named Diesel.