Ely Center Draws A ​“Full House”

By BRIAN SLATTERY | New Haven Independent

The paintings are as entertaining as they are provocative. It’s not just in the mixed materials that give each of the canvases three-dimensional elements, and bring the clothing to dazzling life, nor is it just in the knowing glances on the subjects’ faces. The titles of the paintings — Ascension to the Throne — Wassup and Coronation Day — Sequel to the Queen — give a clear sense of the inspiration behind the paintings. The old order, the paintings say, is coming to an end. A new aristocracy is coming; one that’s younger, Blacker, and, well, maybe more fun, too.

The sense of hope in the two paintings by The Queen’s Artillery is palpable throughout ​“Full House,” the latest exhibition at the Ely Center of Contemporary Art, running now through Nov. 6. It features works from eight arts collectives — the New Haven-based Connectic*nt magazine, FEED, SomethingProjects, Wábi, and Yale Fabric Lab, as well as the new Port Chester, N.Y.-based arts collective Ice Cream Social, Norwalk Art Space, and the Brooklyn-based sk.ArtSpace — and in its wild artistic diversity, it shows the positive energy that can be created when artists work in community.