The Big Dance is a frieze of dancers that evoke the saints in El Greco's Renaissance paintings. A warm, amber haze envelopes the depicted characters, who extend and flail their arms upwards in a jubilant display. Light manifests as form in solid yellow orbs that dot the floor beneath them, projected from a disco ball that is just out of view. In Ellis's own words, "Everyone has forgotten about their responsibilities, losing themselves to the dance floor, tangled in a collection of bodies. The scale of the figures shift—uncannily small or oversized—long limbs stretched out like taffy. This dreamlike place is reminiscent of a dive bar, warehouse, or karaoke stage." For this limited edition series, the artist will create ten unique prints by manipulating the scattered light reflections across the ground. She will also introduce variations in the figures' facial expressions, body language, and added limbs; party detritus like confetti, and subtle wisps of smoke will additionally be added to some prints.
Of ART FOR CHANGE's initiative to support reforestation, Ellis notes, "Over the last decade, millions of trees have been planted across the globe, including many pine trees in the Southeastern United States, near where I grew up. I spent a lot of my childhood playing in the woods around our home in Georgia. When I became older, I would take my sketchbook outside to different locations around my grandparents' property. This experience of drawing outdoors brought serenity to the chaos of my life at the time. I truly believe that trees have the ability to create a sanctuary of calm that supports creative thought."
As part of ART FOR CHANGE's ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship and charitable giving, we will plant 10 trees for each artwork sold.
Maggie Ellis
The Big Dance, 2025
Archival pigment print
24 x 28.5 inches
Limited edition of 10
Hand-embellished, signed, and numbered by the artist
Limited edition of 15 with 5 AP + 1 PP
Signed and numbered by the artist
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