Fifteen years ago, Landmarks, the public art program at The University of Texas at Austin, commissioned a motion painting titled “Animal.” Created by multimedia artist David Ellis, the work has captivated audiences for over a decade with its vibrant display of creatures, landscapes, and splashes of paint.
On November 8, Ellis will join Landmarks founder Andrée Bober for a free artist talk and special viewing of “Animal” at Luna Music from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Ellis’s work, which explores motion, sound, and rhythm through a blend of painting and animation, has been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art, the Mattress Factory, and the Contemporary Art Center. Bober described Ellis as having a dynamic personality and said the opportunity to hear him speak about his process is rare.
“What’s interesting about David Ellison’s work is that there is a freshness to it that seems to not tire over time. People who have never seen it before, people who’ve had it before, see it again,” Bober said. “This is a chance, not only for people in our community, to see his video, which many, many generations of students now have done, but to actually hear his voice and to see the work that he has been working on just this past year.”
Bridging art forms
When Landmarks was founded, Bober and her team faced the challenge of creating public art that represented UT’s vast academic landscape. Instead of a single piece, they developed a platform that showcases a different video artist each month — blending performance and visual art while emphasizing the creative process.
“Now we’ve really seen a flourishing of people’s appreciation for these forms of visual expression,” Bober said. “That really comes because people find their own connection to these forms of art.”
Part of the Austin Studio Tour
The upcoming talk coincides with Ellis’ new exhibition, “Recent Drawings,” on view from November 8 to 16 at Luna Music. During that time, Luna Music will also participate in the Austin Studio Tour, which is a free, citywide celebration of local artists featuring open studios, pop-ups, and interactive events.
Through the conversation and exhibition, audiences will have the chance to experience both the lasting influence of “Animal” and the evolution of Ellis’s work.
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