Ellen Colcord’s ‘Army of Beings’ Bridges...

Emerging from a peaceful Greenwich Village workspace, a captivating new ceramic collection is turning heads across the contemporary art world. Conceived by New York artist Ellen Colcord, the “Army of Beings” series serves as a tangible bridge linking the primal medium of earth and fire with the unseen realms of human spirituality.

Spontaneous Meditation and the Memory of Touch

Striking a delicate balance between antique influences and contemporary form, Colcord’s expressive sculptures carry profound symbolic power. Rather than relying on rigid planning, the creator employs a rapid, instinctive technique known as “spontaneous meditation,” which values immediate impulse above careful calculation.

Working in this mode allows the material to act as an active collaborator, capturing the “memory of touch” to record fleeting moments of subconscious awareness with striking authenticity. Rather than viewing her finished sculptures as manufactured items, Colcord treats them as autonomous “visitors” whom she simultaneously shepherds and obeys.

A Transformed Career Rooted in Faith and Study

The groundwork for this spiritually resonant body of work was laid in 1988, when Colcord abandoned a successful career at an urban design enterprise to pursue fine art full-time. That pivotal choice catalyzed a rich educational and creative odyssey spanning international borders:

• Renaissance Inspiration: Residing in Siena, Italy, she absorbed the spiritual luminescence of 13th-century painter Duccio di Buoninsegna, specifically the concept of the “golden sphere.” She further honed her craft at the Academia di Belle Arte in Urbino.
• Academic Foundations: Her formal background includes a Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art from New York University, complemented by a Master of Arts in Religion earned at Yale University Divinity School.

Gateways to Transcendence

Even though her creative output spans diverse forms such as collage, cinema, and publishing, clay continues to serve as her preferred vehicle for unmediated, visceral communication.

At a time when modern art frequently investigates deep existential questions and the limits of physical substance, the “Army of Beings” stands out as a meaningful achievement. These mystical clay figures inspire quiet contemplation, functioning as physical thresholds to divine spheres and reflecting mankind’s timeless yearning for the sacred.