ABOVE: New Colour Street, Gel ink on black card. 8.5 x 11 inches (approx. 21.6 x 28 cm)

THE MAKER

As the kind of person who instinctively loves making things, Jay Ell, who grew up in Christchurch, began building PC games as a child, later becoming a game designer for small indie studios. He has a passion for digital work but finds drawing and painting just as important.

“I’ve always liked making things and at times have painted, drawn, built software, written – sometimes I have released things anonymously, but not often.”

During a short time in the NZDF, derailed by an injury, he used to doodle buildings and cities in his field notebook. He never showed anyone but some recruits and NCOs noticed and were interested. This took him by surprise and one of his drawings was on the common room wall for a time. Having had some time to think about what he wanted to do next, he decided to get his art out of the notebook and into the world.

“I tend to be more interested in work and ideas rather than following specific people. When I was a teenager I saw Tony de Lautour’s Underworld 2 (2006), a huge piece. I think that must have left an impression on me, especially the high-contrast and small details. Another thingthat’s stuck with me over the years is Bill Culbert’s sculpture Pacific Flotsam (2007) which is also currently owned by the Christchurch Art Gallery. I love transparent materials and the use of light sources; it’s really something to walk into a room and see it all laid out. I’d love to be able to do something with plastics and lights one day.”

For Jay, being an artist feels like a form of communication and he loves the process of reaching people through his art. “Time, distance and language are no barrier when you can exchange creations on the internet; there aren’t many other things where this is ordinarily possible.”

He has released several limited edition prints with the Auckland-based company – Art Collective. “They work with a number of Kiwi artists and I feel very fortunate to be a part of it.”

Jay was a teenager when the 2011 Christchurch earthquake hit and like so many others, it upended his life. “I had been attending an inner-city school, then known as Unlimited Paenga Tawhiti, which ended up being right in the heart of the red zone. I think it fuelled my fascination with buildings and cities, both reflecting on how easily things are destroyed and imagining what the future could become. It’s an odd thing to see a city destroyed and rebuilt, and when you experience something like that in your formative years, it never really leaves you.”

He really likes working on black card and using high-contrast inks and pens, finding this media immediate and direct to work with. “I keep my equipment in the living space so I can start working at any moment. I particularly like working at night. I’m a night owl, it’s a horrible habit but it’s when I feel most productive. I always start with the ground and usually one main building that comes to mind. I guess my drawings evolve building-by-building, constructing a little world as I go. In some cases I’ll have a particular idea that will be fully conceived beforehand, like the floating structure in ‘Known Visitor’, but I prefer to be more organic about it. Sometimes I’ll just add a few details, other times I’ll lay down for hours on the floor or my bed and draw.”

Jay enjoys silence when working but sometimes he listens to music. “I’ve been listening to The National a lot recently, especially their albums ‘Sleep Well Beast’ and ‘High Violet’. I’ve also recently bought Clark’s album ‘Sus Dog’, and I return to Bjork’s Vespertine a lot. I suppose I prefer music that is darker, melancholy, or more experimental. It feels more honest somehow.”

Multi-talented, Jay also plays the piano. He enjoys video games, virtual reality and tech based hobbies. “I also like running, it’s really good for mental clarity. I bought a BMX bike again this year and I’ll go out in the middle of the night and tear around the streets when there are no cars; I like the control and motion of a BMX but I’m not much for stunts.”

For new artists, Jay recommends reaching out to people and trying to exist beyond the place you upload or share your work. “I think some artists have this romantic notion that people will stumble upon them by accident, and I’m not sure that world exists anymore. Everything is so crowded and noisy and AI is only going to drown out artists even more; we have to actively work together and make an effort to be seen.”

You can contact Jay on contact@jayell.art