Ellen Holtzblatt's work is fueled by the yearning exploration of the connection between the physical and the spiritual—the forgetfulness of the earthly body and the memory that resides in the soul. Holtzblatt notes that she examines her own identity by attempting to access “a collective ancestral unconscious.”
In Holtzblatt's series of paintings, Morning, she explores the concepts of internally and externally imposed limitations on one's desires and passions. Her self portrait, "I Have Let You See It With Your Own Eyes" utilizes the visual and symbolic language cultivated in her past series, Yizkor, and incorporates images of a specific place. The title of the painting comes from the biblical text, in which Moses is not allowed to enter Israel. Instead, God takes him to a mountain top where Moses is permitted to view the land from a distance. Holtzblatt's landscapes represent a stark contrast with city life, and ultimately become the place where she lives in her dreams and imagination.
Top Image: I Have Let You See It With Your Own Eyes, 34" x 48", oil on wood panel, 2014
Bottom Image: Unfolding the Heavens, 36" x 48", oil on wood panel, 2014
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