Elissa Cedarleaf Dahl
Elliot Park Charity Attack
oil, acrylic, nuts and bolts, magazine collage, and marker
on canvas, 4 x 6' |
As a painter, muralist, and Spanish translator, I divide
my time and efforts between those different endeavors but
consistently find relationships between the three. I notice
that themes of place and personal narrative surface in my
artwork, as I am very affected by overseas travels, a knowledge
and familiarity of the city of Minneapolis, and my connections
with displaced populations through my experiences working
for Catholic Charities and the immigrant families entering
the Minneapolis Public Schools system.
The paintings I have submitted are part of a series of neighborhood
studies via glimpses of an issue particular to each area.
This illustrative description is made though the use of zoning
maps, aerial maps, and amateur biological and scientific interpretations
of events and components of each neighborhood. With special
focus given to homelessness and ecological and property destruction,
I am connecting my visual interpretation with these neighborhoods
by means of my experiences with them. The pieces are large
scale multimedia collage oil and acrylic on canvas applied
in a textured, gritty manner to juxtapose abstract beauty
and subjective truth.
Harrison Neighborhood
oil, acrylic, magazine collage and marker on canvas, 4
x 6' |
The painting Elliot Park Charity Attack demonstrates my interest
in place and personal narrative. It describes the experiences
I had as the kitchen coordinator of Catholic Charities Branch
III in the Elliot Park Neighborhood of Minneapolis. In November
2001, a Muslim man was killed while waiting in the breakfast
line. Following this hate crime, the FBI became involved and
various attacks on our building took place soon afterwards.
Human feces were spread on the doors and windows, the doors
were super glued and cemented shut, and acid was poured down
the dishwasher sink, causing chemical burns in our throats and
spoiling all stored food in the building. In addition to the
neighborhood’s zoning map, the painting has elements of
these intense events: microscopic views of fecal bacteria, the
molecular structure of acid, and the General Mills products
served by the volunteers that day. The grocery cart and cafeteria
platter are elements of the job and necessities of the populations
we served.
Boy Becomes Man
oil, acrylic, human hair, magazine collage on canvas,
2 x 4' |
Other paintings related to the art of recovery are Harrison
Neighborhood Superfund Sites which address the effect of living
with past ecological damage in a North Minneapolis neighborhood.
Boy Becomes Man outlines the carelessness and obsession of
gun ownership by young men.
Recovery and survival for Minneapolis’s homeless population
is a struggle I witness daily.
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