Ellis Barber
Strange Days
West Gallery
November 7, 2026 - January 2, 2027
Opening Reception:
Saturday, November 7, 6pm-9pm
ARTIST STATEMENT
This body of work is a reflection on how we as humans impact our environment and the living things that exist within it. We diligently follow the habit of producing and throwing away, often without considering where our trash goes, how much we produce, or where it will end up if given time. I am struck by our general culture that enables us to so freely discard things. I recognized that my own compulsive response to this culture is to collect these objects. In my collecting, I see myself as saving and protecting these objects. While I grapple with this instinct to gather this trash so that it does not infect the environment, I am struck by an animal’s instinct to continue to exist, survive, or potentially thrive amongst it. This comes through in the surfaces I give my sculptures. By coating or filling these animals in trash, it implies that they have either evolved to develop these skins in the wake of our pollution, or that we have done this to the animals ourselves.
I believe dogs to be one of the most poignant examples of our effects on animals. While our contentious relationship with animals extends beyond just dogs, what compels me to use them as my main avenue for depicting these ideas with sculpture is the agency I believe they have in breaking away from their dependence on humans.
They exhibit an attitude of making the best of their situation. It is in their nature to socialize with each other, form bonds, and find space and time to play despite their situation or environment. It is in these qualities that I consider them creatures of habit, wherein they always follow these patterns of survival and instincts to revel in their situation. These patterns are reflected in us as the perpetuators of this trash, as it appears to be in our nature to create and consume trash without the inclination to stop it.
This exhibition revolves squarely on our association with trash and the living things that survive in the periphery of this relationship. By asking the viewer to consider their own place in this relationship and with the world they help to create, they are compelled to consider if this aids or hinders the world around us. By creating and presenting this body of work, it certainly allows me to consider my own place in that relationship.
BIOGRAPHY
Ellis Barber is a multimedia sculptor living in Waco, Texas. Growing up in Waco, Ellis earned his BFA in sculpture at Baylor University before going on to earn his MFA in Sculpture at the University of Mississippi in 2026. He is currently working as the Lab Manager in Ceramics and Sculpture at Baylor. Ellis’ current sculptural work revolves around the interaction between the trash/pollution that humans release into our environment and the living things that must cope with these harmful materials. The main vessel for these ideas is his large-scale dog sculptures. These larger-than-life dogs with dynamic poses are each wrapped or stuffed with found trash, giving each animal a distinct personality and theme. Alongside sculpture, Ellis enjoys creating multicolor relief prints and wheel-thrown ceramics.
