Ellen Hackl Fagan




			Call and Response My paintings make tangible music, the phenomenon of synaesthesia, pluralism and inspire an awareness of the mind in the body. Subjects emerge from the materials used and their characteristics. Through color saturation, pattern and repetition, I hear the sound of the image. This sensate awareness elicits a playful experimentation in an open-ended working style that echoes the chaotic beauty of life. When grouped together, the painting installations double as performance pieces where the viewers and I work together to determine the potential voice or personality of each painting or its colors and surfaces. These interventions build upon several projects in development like The Reverse Color Organ, Community Sing and Studio/Lab, and utilize interactive digital technologies. These concepts and techniques have driven me to learn new media, and I am programming my own sonic palette. As a facilitator, or teacher, of these concepts, thereby animating the artwork. When we play and work together, the viewer is empowered to trust his/her imagination and experience conceptual and contemporary art more intimately, as they ponder anew the language of color.



			Ellen Hackl Fagan efagan4@optonline.net Selected, Recent, and Scheduled Exhibitions (Solo/Two Person Exhibitions) 2009 LEFT BRAIN/RIGHT BRAIN, Flinn Gallery, Greenwich, CT. George Rush, juror. WISH YOU WERE HERE, A.I.R., Brooklyn, NY. ∗COLORSOUNDTHEORY, Leever Center for the Performing Arts, Waterbury, CT. THE ALPHABET GAME, Figment, Interactive Art on Governor’s Island, New York, NY. (UN)ART-3, Artspace Gallery, Hartford, CT. Tao LaBossiere and Amy Mielke, curators. 2008 PROGRESSIONS, Bendheim Gallery. Greenwich, CT. ALDRICH UNDERCOVER, Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art. Invitational. WHY NOT?, Housatonic Art Museum, Bridgeport, CT. Helen Klisser-During, juror. SASSY SURFACES, Clay Art Center, Port Chester, NY. LOVE IS FOR LOVELY PEOPLE, Victory Arts Projects, Jersey City, NJ. James Pustorino, curator. GENERATIONS 6, A.I.R. Gallery, New York, NY RESTFUL ALERTNESS – ABSTRACT ART TODAY, Rhonda Schaller Studio, New York, NY. 2007* NIGHT OF 1000 DRAWINGS, Artist’s Space, New York, NY. ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHY, Victory Hall, Jersey City, NJ. Robert Kosinski and Edward Fautsty, curators. REALPARTY, Real Art Ways, Hartford, CT. Invitational. SENSATE, Good News Café, Woodbury, CT. Invitational solo exhibition. Bernard Jarrier, curator. NEW BRITAIN MUSEUM OF ART, New Britain, CT. Invitational. 2006* ALDRICH UNDERCOVER, The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield, CT. SCAT PAINTING, The John Slade Ely Contemporary Art Gallery 2006 Invitational Exhibition, New Haven, CT. Paul Clabby, curator. SYNTHESIZE, E G Arts Conservatory, Ridgefield, CT. Suzanne Enser-Ryan, curator. VICTORY HALL’S PAINTING ANNUAL, Jersey City, NJ.Juried. Jim Pustorino, curator.. ORGANIZING CHAOS/THE REVERSE COLOR ORGAN, Duke University, Durham, NC. Tara Zepel, curator. 2005 THE LISTENING EYE, The Gallery, Mercer County Community College. Trenton, NJ. THE REVERSE COLOR ORGAN, Chelsea Art Museum, New York, NY. Collaboration with composer, Konrad Kaczmarek. Interactive Multimedia Culture Exposition. James Tunick, Director. CREATIVE CONTRAPTIONS, Stamford Museum & Nature Center, Stamford, CT. Juried. Jessica Hough, Deborah Rothschild and Deborah Schwartz, jurors. 2004* ECSTATIC PAINT, MFA Thesis Exhibition, Silpe Gallery, Hartford Art School. Hartford, CT. RADIUS, PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE EXHIBITION AND SERIES FOR EMERGING ARTISTS. Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum and the Ridgefield Guild of Art. Ridgefield, CT. Jessica Hough, Richard Klein, Harry Philbrick and Deborah Browne jurors. NEW BRITAIN MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART Annual Juried Exhibition, Power Boothe, juror. 2003* A FRESH START, Philip Alan Gallery, New York, NY. NOW IT’S A PARTY, Real Art Ways, Hartford, CT. Independent study with Harrell Fletcher. PAINTING, PHOTOGRAPHY, NEW WORK, Philip Alan Gallery, New York, NY. Selected Performances 2009-07 THE ALPHABET GAME, Created and premiered interactive color/sound grammar game during Open Studios in Harlem, New York and New Haven, Connecticut. Performed in Connecticut in conjunction with the Psychology, Painting, and Early Childhood Development departments at Nauguatuck Valley Community College. Guest speaker in Greenwich, Connecticut for the Greenwich Pen Women and at the Greenwich Public Library. FIGMENT 2009, Governor’s Island, New York, NY. Presented The Alphabet Game to over fifty participants. 2006 STUDIO/LAB, City-Wide Open Studios, New Haven, CT. Premiered MenuPlayer, a laptop based color organ combined with Community Sing, an interactive color/sound grammar game where viewers sound out a color scale. SYNTHESIZE/ COMMUNITY SING, E G Arts Conservatory, Ridgefield, CT. An interactive performance with viewers who helped give voice to my abstract paintings. Facilitated by artist and Suzanne Enser-Ryan, curator. ORGANIZING CHAOS AND THE REVERSE COLOR ORGAN, Community Sing, Duke University, Durham, CT. A collaborative performance recorded with Chris Hardy, musician, on bouzouki. Sonic equivalents created by Chris in spontaneous response to artist’s paintings on exhibition. 2005 REVERSE COLOR ORGAN, an interactive project that explores the nature of synaesthesia created in collaboration with composer Konrad Kaczmarek. Performed at the following exhibitions during 2005: THE LISTENING EYE, The Gallery, Mercer County Community College, West Windsor, NJ. CITY-WIDE OPEN STUDIOS, Alternative Space, New Haven, CT. THE REVERSE COLOR ORGAN, Chelsea Art Museum, New York, NY. CREATIVE CONTRAPTIONS, Stamford Museum & Nature Center, Stamford, CT. 2004 THE REVERSE COLOR ORGAN, first version created in collaboration with composer Michael Feldman. Performed at the following exhibitions during 2004: ECSTATIC PAINT, MFA Thesis Exhibition. Silpe Gallery, Hartford Art School, West Hartford, CT. RADIUS, Ridgefield Guild of Art, Ridgefield, CT., Deborah Browne, Jessica Hough, Richard Klein, Harry Philbrick, jurors. ARTISTIC COLLABORATIONS,Hartt School of Music, University of Hartford. West Hartford, CT. 2002 REDEMPTION, ART FROM FOUND MATERIALS, UCONN Stamford, Stamford, CT. Created an exact copy of sculpture included in exhibition, “Baby,” in cake, and served it as dessert during the opening reception. G.R. Boggs and Charlotte Hedlund, curators. Education 2009-08 Jazz Guitar, Chris Fox, Instructor. 2009-06 Clay Art Center, Port Chester, NY. Low Fire Independent Studio. Liz Biddle, Instructor. 2006 Harvestworks, New York, NY. Max/MSP/Jitter Certification Program. Interactive digital media. Konrad Kaczmarek, Instructor and Collaborator. 2005-02 Hartford Art School, University of Hartford. Hartford, CT. Master of Fine Arts Degree in Painting. Susan Wilmarth-Rabineau, Advisor. 2003 Hartford Art School, University of Hartford. Independent study with visiting artist Harrell Fletcher. In collaboration with Real Art Ways and Hartford Art School, students assisted Harrell with creating the community-focused exhibition, “Now It’s A Party.” May – September, 2004. 2002-01 Hartford Art School, University of Hartford. Hartford, CT. Advanced Painting Independent Study. Susan Wilmarth-Rabineau, Advisor.. 2001 Yale University Summer Programs, New Haven, CT. Introduction to Sculpture. John Saunders, Instructor. 1994-87 CClassical Guitar, Wethersfield, CT. Walter Kaye Bauer, Master. 1982 Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, IN. Bachelor of Fine Arts, Painting and Photography. 1979-80 Saint Mary’s College, extension campus, Rome, Italy. Selected Teaching Experiance 2009 Greenwich Art Society Studio School, Greenwich, CT. Adult and teen classes. Naugatuck Valley Community College, Psychology Department, Painting Department, Early Childhood Development Center. Visiting Artist Lecturer, COLOR SOUND THEORY workshops in conjunction with exhibition of same name. 2008 Woodbury Middle School. Visiting artist, special needs students. Making Paintings Flow. 2007-01 Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield, CT. Docent. 2007 Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield, CT. THE SOUND OF COLORS, Art Daze. Instructor. 2004 Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield, CT. Student Docent Program. Instructor. 2001 Hartford Art School, Teaching Assistant, Beginning and Intermediate Painting. Susan Wilmarth-Rabineau, Instructor. 2002-1999 Urban Artist’s Initiative. Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism. Waterbury, CT. Mentor. 2002-1997 Visiting Artist Program, Mattatuck Museum. Waterbury, CT. Instructor. Curatorial Experience 2003-01 Washington Art Association. Washington Depot, CT. Exhibition Selection Committee. 2002 Farmington Valley Art Center. Farmington, CT. Selection Committee, Studio Artists Program. 2001 Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, IN. Student Exhibition. Juror. 1999 EVOLUTION, Women’s Caucus for Art/CT Chapter Member’s Exhibition. Gallery 53, Meriden, CT. 1996 BIRTH ART, MIRACLE AND MYSTERY, Gallery 53, Meriden, CT. Exhibition traveled from California. Judy Chicago, featured artist. 1995 ART & TEXT, Stamford Museum & Nature Center, Stamford, CT and Gallery 53, Meriden, CT. Exhibition curator. Produced and designed exhibition catalog. Reviewed in The New York Times by Vivian Raynor. Professional Affiliations Women’s Caucus for Art, Connecticut Chapter, Founding Member National League of Pen Women, Greenwich Pen Women Chapter American Synaesthesia Association Selected Collections Dr. David Zadik , Greenwich, CT. Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, IN. Dana Farber Institute, Boston, MA. Diagnostic Chemicals Ltd., USA. Oxford, CT. Grants and Awards CREATIVE CONTRAPTIONS, Stamford Museum & Nature Center, Stamford, CT. $2500.00 grant for production costs to cover exhibition installation. ART IN MOTION, Best in Show, Farmington Valley Arts Center. NEW HAVEN PAINT & CLAY CLUB, Honorable Mention, Sculpture, Juried Members’ Annual Exhibition. Selected Recent Bibliography Hank Hoffman, “Alternative Space: Short Takes,” Connecticut Art Scene, November 4, 2006. Website blog. L.P. Streitfeld, “Stamford Museum Pays Homage to Rube Goldberg.” The Advocate & Greenwich Time, March 13, 2005. Tracey O’Shaughnessy, “Faith in Her Art.” Today’s Woman, The Waterbury Republican American, May 15, 2001. Cover story. Kathryn Boughton. “Woodbury Artist’s Vision.” The Litchfield County Times. February 11, 2000. Feature story. Patricia Rosoff. “Hero Worship.” The Hartford Advocate. March 25, 1999. William Zimmer. “Color, So Much the Essence of What’s Happening in Painting.” The New York Times. December 21, 1997. Vivien Raynor. “Words and Images, the Works of 15 Connecticut Artists.” The New York Times. June 4, 1995. Back to top


	© Ellen Hackl Fagan, 2007 Site: Kristonica Design