Ellen Banks (June 7, 1938 – May 18, 2017) was an American painter and multi-media artist using only printed musical scores as inspiration for her paintings.

Ellen Banks
BornJune 7, 1938
DiedMay 18, 2017
Alma materMassachusetts College of Art
AwardsPrix de Paris
Websiteellenbanks.net

Biography

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Born in Boston, Banks spent her childhood exploring both painting and music and was inspired by Piet Mondrian.[1] Banks received her bachelor's degree from the Massachusetts College of Art, studying also at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts. Her first solo exhibition took place in 1962.[2] Only five years later, in 1967, she received the Prix de Paris, and her work has been widely exhibited.[3] Since 1981 she has been using musical scores as the visual basis for her work.[4][5]

Career

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Banks began her career in 1962 with her first solo gallery.[6] In addition to her formal education at the Massachusetts College of Art, Banks received training from César Domela and Hans Jaffé.[7] She has drawn inspiration from only printed musical scores since 1981.[8] She refers to herself as "a representational painter of abstracts forms",[9] and her unique work has been featured in galleries across the United States and Europe including Galerie Spandow, Artu Gallery, and Museum of Modern Art (NYC). She taught painting courses at the School of the Museum of Fine Art in Boston (1974-1996), where she garnered a number of awards and grant funding.[10] Banks has been based in Brooklyn for much of her career.[11]

Notable works

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References

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  1. ^ Lock, Graham. "Ellen Banks: The Geometrics of the Score". Oxford Scholarship Online. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  2. ^ Heller, Jules; Heller, Nancy G. (1997). North American Women Artists of the Twentieth Century: A Biographical Dictionary. Routledge. p. 49. ISBN 9781135638825. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  3. ^ Jules Heller; Nancy G. Heller (December 19, 2013). North American Women Artists of the Twentieth Century: A Biographical Dictionary. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-135-63882-5.
  4. ^ "Ellen Banks – Musical Manifestations: Compositions in Wax, Paper, and Yarn - College of Fine Arts". Archived from the original on February 6, 2017. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
  5. ^ "10 O'Clock News - [Ellen Banks]". WGBH. June 15, 1984. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
  6. ^ Heller, Jules; Heller, Nancy G. (1997). North American Women Artists of the Twentieth Century: A Biographical Dictionary. Routledge. p. 49. ISBN 9781135638825. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  7. ^ Banks, Ellen. "Resume". ellen banks. Archived from the original on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  8. ^ "Ellen Banks – Musical Manifestations: Compositions in Wax, Paper, and Yarn". Boston University: College of the Fine Arts. Archived from the original on 6 February 2017. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  9. ^ Banks, Ellen. "Artist's Statement". ellen banks. Archived from the original on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  10. ^ Banks, Ellen. "Resume". ellen banks. Archived from the original on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  11. ^ "Artist Combines Two Loves: Color and Music - BU Today - Boston University". 4 October 2011. Retrieved February 6, 2017.