Artist's Statement
What is reality? Each of us brings a distinct set of experiences to every moment. How much does our personal history shape what we see? How do we discover our authentic self amid the cacophony of external influences and keep our footing in a world where we're only a small part?
In my recent work, I explore these questions through sustained observation of miniature worlds I construct from collected fragments, both natural and manufactured. These dynamic still lifes become tiny cross sections of the world that I can manipulate and study through multiple media.
My practice involves spending months, even years, getting to know these scenes through photography, gouache, and oil painting. This sustained attention creates a tender intimacy. Objects and their relationships develop deep personal meaning as they're filtered through my psyche, yet even as I try to create a controllable reality, the unexpected creeps in.
My process unfolds through iterations. I photograph the composed scene, which reveals details invisible to the naked eye. Gouache studies from enlarged photo displays let me interpret what I see. I then photograph these studies and project them on a large screen, allowing me to carefully observe every drip and dab of paint. Finally, I reference all these versions—the original enlarged still-life photos, gouache studies, and their enlargements—to create oil paintings. Each of these source materials represents a different version of the same scene, creating constant tension between the photograph's illusionistic space and the gouache's painterly surface.
Time, imagined space, and unseen layers of paint become embedded in the painting as I work toward reconciling multiple realities. Motion, fragments, connecting threads, and vertiginous space suggest this reality isn't an answer—it's just the beginning of the inquiry.
Bio
Elisa earned her BFA in Printmaking from Washington University in St. Louis, with a minor in Art History. She also studied at the Santa Reparata Printmaking Studio in Florence, Italy, and the Vermont Studio Center. Her work has been exhibited in solo shows at Elliot Smith Contemporary Art in St. Louis, Fontbonne University, and The Contemporary Art Workshop in Chicago, and she has taught painting and drawing at Webster University.
After moving to Philadelphia in 1999, Elisa drew inspiration from early motherhood, later stepping back to focus on family life. When she returned to her studio, she found freedom in its privacy—space to explore materials, ideas, and her own artistic voice, apart from outside influences. Over the past fifteen years, her continued practice has shaped a distinct process and visual language, and she now looks forward to reengaging in dialogue with the wider art world.
CV
ELISA ABELOFF
Philadelphia, PA
Education
1991
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Washington University in St. Louis
Concentration: Printmaking | Minor: Art History
1990
Santa Reparata Studio, Florence, Italy — Etching
Solo Exhibitions
1999
New Faces, Elliot Smith Contemporary Art, St. Louis, MO
1997
Elisa Abeloff, Contemporary Art Workshop, Chicago, IL
1996
Recent Paintings and Drawings, Forest Park Community College, St. Louis, MO
1993
A Particular Set, Gallery at MAC, St. Louis, MO
Selected Group Exhibitions
2019–2023
Souls Shot Portrait Project (traveling exhibition), Philadelphia, PA and NJ
1998
Faculty Exhibition, Webster University, St. Louis, MO
1997
Two-Person Exhibition, World Trade Center, St. Louis, MO
Juried Group Show, Quincy Art Center, Quincy, IL
Group Exhibition, Hunt Gallery, St. Louis, MO
1996
Art St. Louis, Art St. Louis, MO
Faculty Exhibition, Webster University, St. Louis, MO
1994
Juried Exhibition, Alcazar Gallery, Baltimore, MD
1993
Drawings Coast to Coast, Rockville Arts Place, Rockville, MD
1991
Northern National Juried Exhibition, Nicholet College LRC Gallery, Rhinelander, WI
Juried Show, The BAUhouse, Baltimore, MD
BFA Exhibition, Steinberg Gallery, Washington University in St. Louis, MO
1990
Alumni Exhibition, Baltimore School for the Arts, Baltimore, MD
Reviews, Profiles, and Publications
1999
"Elisa Abeloff Turns Ordinary Scenes Into Master Strokes," Jeff Daniel, St. Louis Post-Dispatch (July 11)
1996
"Interesting New Work from Familiar Hands," Robert Duffy, St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Oct 17)
"Column," Richard Byrne, Riverfront Times (Nov)
"Drawings by Elisa Abeloff," River Styx Magazine (Oct)
"A Silent, Enigmatic Drama," Robert Duffy, St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Apr 11)
"Review," Brian Smith, Art St. Louis, Vol. 11, No. 1 (Spring)
1993
"MAC the Knife," Suzanne Langlois, Riverfront Times (Nov 10)
"RAP's Drawings a Feast for the Eye," Roberta Morgan, The Rockville Gazette (June 30)
1992
"Lofty Ambitions," Jeannette Batz, Riverfront Times (Nov 11)
1991
"Paintings at BAUhouse Leave Strong Impression," John Dorsey, The Baltimore Sun (July 17)
1990
"Art Alumni Go On to Better—and Better—Things," John Dorsey, The Baltimore Sun (Feb)
Teaching
1995–1999
Adjunct Professor of Painting and Drawing, Webster University, St. Louis, MO
1996
Visiting Professor, Meramec Community College, St. Louis, MO
Visiting Professor, Forest Park Community College, St. Louis, MO
Selected Collections and Commissions
National Society of Social Policy and Practice, Washington, DC
First National Bank, Columbia, MO
St. Louis University High School, St. Louis, MO
Choice in Dying, New York, NY
Jefferson/Keeler Printing Company, St. Louis, MO