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Butter Lamp series
1. Butter Lamp, Solo, detail, 2007, intaglio on handmade German etching paper,
     22" x 15-1/2"
2. Butter Lamp, Alter Altar, detail, 2007, intaglio on handmade German etching paper,
      22" x 15-1/2"
3. Butter Lamps Mantra, detail, 2007, intaglio and chine colle, and handmade Lotka
     paper on handmade German etching paper, 22" x 15-1/2"
4. Butter Lamps Negative, detail, 2007, intaglio on handmade German etching paper,
      22" x 15-1/2"
5. Butter Lamps, detail, 2007, intaglio on handmade German etching paper,
      22" x 15-1/2"

7. Untitled Lamps 1, 2006, intaglio and chine colle on handmade Lotka paper and German etching
      paper, 15” x 11"
8. Untitled Lamps 2, 2006, intaglio and chine colle on handmade Lotka paper and German etching
      paper, 15” x 11"

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1-3. Washing the Dishes, 2005, color photographs, watercolor on paper, Stabilo pencil stencil on wall,
          dimensions variable
4. Butter Lamps Series, installation view, 2007, intaglio, chine colle, and handmade Lotka paper on
     handmade German etching paper with acrylic stencil on wall, 34" x 216"

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1-2. Mantra for Gravity, 2006, offset lithography, letterpress, steel, velum, and French’s
         construction and Speckletone paper, 5-3/4" x 4-3/4”, edition of 100
3. Lotus Study, open view, 2005, mixed media on paper, 11" x 4-1/4”,
     one-of-a-kind artist book
4. Lotus, interior spread 3 Survival, 2005, pressure print and letter press on handmade
     Lotka paper, 7" x 4-1/2", edition of 25
5. Lotus, interior spread 1 Purity
6. Legacy, detail, 2005, ink jet printing, letterpress, feathers and mylar,
     4-1/2" x 3-1/2" closed, edition of 12
7. Making Merit Guide, artist book in 4 pieces, overview, 2004,  offset lithography,
     letterpress, and color duplication, 4-3/8“ x 5-3/4“ enclosed, edition of 100
8. Making Merit Guide, detail
9. Making Merit Manual, detail of diligence spread – overview, 2004,  offset lithography,
     letterpress, and color duplication, 4-3/8“ x 5-3/4“ enclosed, edition of 100
10. 8, interior detail, 2004, relief printed and letterpress on handmade Japanese paper,
       4-1/4” x 3-3/4” closed; 30" x 9-1/4” open, variable edition of 20
11. David Smith Questions, open view, 2004, color copies, 9-1/2" x 5.-1/4”,
       one-of-a-kind artist book

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1. I inscribe my petals 1, 2007, mixed media on paper, 25" x 19”
2. I inscribe my petals 2, 2007, mixed media on paper, 25" x 19”
3. I promise thee, 2007, mixed media on paper, 30” x 21”
4. W/could I die for thee, 2007, mixed media on paper, 30” x 21”
5. Relinquish Attachments, Embrace Aversions, 2006, intaglio, chine colle, letterpress,
      and mixed media on handmade Lotka paper and German etching paper,
      9-3/4" x 15”
6. Vessels, 2004, inkjet, relief, wax and gold leaf on watercolor paper, 14" x 18”,
      edition of 7

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Contact Information
Philadelphia, PA
tel: 215-771-7791
e-mail: erinelman@yahoo.com
Please contact artist for purchases, commissions, etc.

Artist Statement
I often explore ideas, stories, histories, objects, and rituals that fascinate me (through text and visual means) as a way to both process and possess them.  My work is an extension of my life, and is therefore integrated into the routines and thoughts that occupy my mind and my time.  The practice of making art functions in a way that allows me to understand the world and helps me to organize and ground myself.

I work across mediums, utilizing processes that can include drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, book arts, mixed media, and installation.  Central to the work is an interest in the tactile aspects of mark making, formal issues such as color, and repetitive acts.  Conceptually my work is informed by travel, study, and inquiry. My works seeks to ask questions and explore potential interpretations rather than offer definitive answers.

Buddhism is a framework I utilize for exploring contradiction and meaning in every day life, as well as offers a structure for my art making practice and a source of imagery.  However, it is not the sole focus of my work or practice.  I am fundamentally interested in numerous forms, concepts, and images, which occur in nature as well as across cultures, which may be interpreted in varied ways or simply read as aesthetically intriguing images.

One theme in my work is the relationship between the sacred and the mundane and the ways in which they can and do intersect. I seek ways in which one can elevate the tasks and occurrences of everyday life in order that they may bring comfort and significance; while simultaneously trying to find ways in which sacred or meaningful acts can be performed on a daily basis and understood within the context of every-day existence. For me, the art making process itself is akin to the butter lamp offering ceremony, in both ritual and intention.

Education
2003 – present
The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA
MFA canidate, Book Arts and Printmaking

1997
The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA
MA, Art Education

1989
Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
BFA, with University Honors

1988
Temple University, Rome, Italy

Professional Experience
2008 - Present
Dean of Continuing Studies, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA

1990 - 2008
Director Outreach and Pre-College Programs, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA

1992 - present
Instructor and Guest Lecturer, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA

2000 - 2001
Acting Director, Center for Continuing Studies, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA

2000
Instructor, Tuscany: Studio & Art History, Professional Institute for Educators Graduate Travel Course, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA and Italy

1986 - 1987
Peer Teacher, Freshman Seminar Synthesis, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA

Professional Affiliations
2005 – present
Philadelphia Center for the Book

1990 - Present
College Art Association

1990 - Present
National Art Education Association

1995 – 2000
American Association of University Women

Awards and Honors
1999
Finalist for the Terra Foundation for American Art, Terra Summer Residency

1997
Sylvia G. Wexler Memorial Award for Academic Research in Art Education, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA

1986 - 1987
Writing Fellow, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA

Lectures and Talks
1998
Presenter, Feminism and Contemporary Art, National Art Education Association National Conference, Chicago, IL

1996
Presenter, A Stitch in the Canon: Feminism in Contemporary Art, Pennsylvania Art Education Association Annual Conference, Harrisburg, PA

1994
Presenter, Womanhouse and the Dinner Party: Judy Chicago’s Influence on the Feminist Art of the 1970s, Pennsylvania Art Education Association Conference, Philadelphia, PA

Collections
Public
Print and Picture Collection, The Free Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Library Humanities Joc Secund, Timisoara, Romania
The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA
The Tate Britain, London, England

Selected Exhibitions

Solo

1992
erin elman: Receiving Libation, Protean Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

Group

2008
MFA Thesis Exhibition Book Arts/Printmaking, Rosenwald-Wolf Gallery, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA

2007
Abington Art Center Juried Exhibition, Jenkintown, PA

Miss Viguer’s Home for Wayward Youth, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA

Book in Hand, ALL Gallery, New Haven, CT

Love Notes,  A.I.R. Gallery, New York

East/Midwest: The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA

East/Midwest: Columbia College, Chicago, IL

2006
Jump Start: Launching an Artists’ Book Collection, Free Library of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA

Book Arts, Penn State Abington Campus, Abington, PA

Arte Pagina, Kelly Writers’ House, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

2 x 2: An Exhibition of Small Books, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA

Turning Pages II, Whittier College, Whittier, CA

100% Centennial, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA

2005
excerpt, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA

Eat Paper, Drink Ink: The Sensuality of Books, Voices & Visions Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

Artists' Books from Philadelphia and Timisoara, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA and Library Humanitas Joc Secund, Timisoara, Romania

2004
Turning Pages, Whittier College, Whittier, CA

Love Notes,  A.I.R. Gallery, New York

2000
Stills: A Group Exhibition of Photography, La Colombe, Philadelphia, PA

1999
Invited Artists Exhibition, Highwire Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

1998
Scavi, Window on Broad Street, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA

1997
Graduate Student Juried Exhibition, Arronson Gallery, University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA

1996
Paper Prayers, Nexus Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

Vessels and Other Things Etruscan, Gallery 310, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA

1995
Graduate Student Juried Show, Arronson Gallery, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA

MA Student Exhibition, Gallery 310, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA

1992
5 Plus 5, Protean Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

1991
Gems, Protean Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

CHOICE, A.I.R. Gallery, New York, NY

Artists’ Journals, Rosenwald-Wolf Gallery, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA

Protean Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

Protean Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

1990
Voice of the Artist: Artists Cultural Exchange, Joy Berman Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

1989
Vessels, Forbes Gallery, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA

Vessels and Amphorae: A Senior Thesis Exhibition, Forbes Gallery, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
Juried Exhibition
Curator: Annagreth Nill, Curator Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, PA

Art for the Homeless, Dunkin & Porter House, Pittsburgh, PA
Juried Exhibition

Other
1991
Spring Garden Studios Open House, Philadelphia, PA

A Show of Hands, Goldey-Paley Gallery, Moore College of Art, Philadelphia, PA

1990
Spring Garden Studios Open House, Philadelphia, PA