TRACES OF KRISTA
Gadzooks! continues the May celebration of photography with work by Krista Ellis. Krista’s pieces are a preview for her part in the group show, Traces, opening Thursday night at Gallery 1313. Traces runs until May 25.
Check out more of her work at kristaellis.ca
In 1918, lightning hit the house and set the dining room ablaze. My great-gram swore it happened because she broke a mirror days before, bringing seven years bad luck. This chair was the only thing that survived the fire. It’s our good luck charm.
This coat was given to me by a Woman I knew briefly. She was kind, gracious and treated me like family. She would tell me stories of her childhood home in Japan and how she missed her Father. The coat doesn’t fit me but it does remind me of her generosity.
These cufflinks belonged to my Grandfather who died when I was nine. He was like a father to me. I admired his sense of personal style. After he died, I was given a box full of cufflinks, which I wore as a teenage with secondhand men’s shirts. Today, they are worn by my husband, whose personal style I admire.
I was friends with a Woman who chose not to stay. She was worldly and naïve. She was lighthearted and tormented. First, I saw the light and it too made me light. Then I saw the dark and it was deep and bottomless. I didn’t understand. I still don’t understand and perhaps I never will. She gave me this mask as a souvenir from a trip she took. It resembles her face, serene in a moment of happiness.
Once I bought a shirt with an image of Shiva on it. The Woman in the store asked, “Do you know who that is?” “No, who is it?” I asked. “That is Shiva, the creator and destroyer.” Throughout years of good and bad the idea of Shiva was never lost on me. Many years later, I purchased this statue of Shiva from my therapist’s yard sale…That still makes me laugh.
For three generations, the men in my husband’s family dedicated their lives to the local paper mill and its union. Upon entering law school, my husband’s Grandad gave him his Great-Grandad’s watch with the enclosed letter:
Today Sean is a union lawyer.“Sean –
Mom gave this to me when she moved out of her house. She wanted to be sure I got it. I don’t know how much you remember about Dad, you were pretty young. But I do know that when Mom was so sick, I often said that it was terrible that the only company Dad had was a 2-year old. I’m sure you brought him a lot of pleasure despite your age, because I listened to him talk about you. I can’t speak for Dad, but I want you to have this. It was just overhauled and guaranteed for a year. I have the card from Savoys. Use it with pride.Love
Grandad”