Jim Elniski

4 January 1983 - 22 January 1983
Opening Reception 4 January 1983 8pm

East & West Gallery:

Snake Pit

Snake Pit is composed of found segments of tree limb and root that bare a formal resemblance to serpentine shapes. Into one end of each “snake stick” is notched a mouth and aniline dyes have been used to stain the bodies. The head of each snake swallows the tail of another, resulting in a convoluted uroboros trailing across the gallery floor.

For the last three years, Jim has been involved in the creation of sculptural “events” that exposes the viewer to alternative perceptions of everyday life. A recent work involved the manipulation of 50,000 eggshells gathered from the Boston-area breakfast diners. His installations have been seen throughout the United States and Mexico. Elniski received his BA in History from the State University of New York and an MFA from the University of Iowa in Multimedia. He has been awarded fellowships from the Fine Arts Work Center at Provincetown, the Artists Foundation of Massachusetts, and the National Endowment for the Arts.