Celebrating a New Era

This month, Los Angeles-based artist Ellie Pritts is making waves in the New York art scene with her solo show titled “In the Screen I am Everything.” This marks not only her first exhibition in the Big Apple but also her debut at the fresh art gallery, bitforms. The show features eight vibrant animations available for minting as NFTs on Ethereum, displayed on state-of-the-art screens alongside a selection of physical prints, blending the digital and tangible worlds seamlessly.

From Hidden Talents to NFT Triumphs

Pritts first dipped her toes into the NFT ocean in 2021 when she decided to mint some existing video artworks. “I had this cache of video art,” she recalled. It was surprising to her how quickly those pieces gained traction, to the point where they generated enough income for Pritts to enhance her artistic endeavors with new tools. Who knew sharing your work on Instagram could offshoot into a personal gold mine?

Turning Challenges into Creative Opportunities

Before her artistic leap, Pritts was a concert photographer and professional cellist. However, life threw her a curveball with her diagnosis of a degenerative neurological condition. “They said, ‘You’re losing these abilities, they’re not going to come back, we don’t know how much worse it’s gonna get. Sorry,'” she shared, summing up the world of medical professionals’ bedside manners.

But rather than let it shatter her spirit, Pritts channeled her newfound challenges into crafting unique art through AI. “Relative Minor” (2023) is a mesmerizing animation that begins the show, showcasing a feminine face that morphs infinitely, guided by Pritts’ dream journals—talk about turning subconscious thoughts into visual gold!

Nature Meets Technology in Surreal Spectacles

As viewers progress through the exhibition, they step into the world of “Fleur Glitch,” where flowers bloom, wilt, and intertwine with abstract digital elements. Pritts cleverly juxtaposes natural beauty with the artificial, showcasing a tension that feels almost poetic. Why just glance at a flower when you can also experience the underlying glitches of the digital age?

The Personal Touch of AI

The final section of the show immerses attendees in Pritts’ distinct aesthetic. Here, digital and physical elements collide in a riot of color and imagination. With works that even feature herself, the artist invites viewers into her vibrant internal landscape. The defining piece, projected rather than framed, encapsulates her artistic journey and future aspirations. “If I wasn’t alive right now, a lot of doors could be closing for me because of physical issues,” she reflected, emphasizing how technology resurrected her creative spirit.