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Artist: Laura Ellstrom (Columbus, OH)
Sales for this work are handled by Pulp Stiction. Payment is made through this page.
Year: 2026 | Medium: Mixed-media cut paper collage, colored pencil, acrylic | Dimensions: 16 x 20 inches | Display: Wall-hung (2D)
Artist Statement
When is enough enough? It was 1999 when the horrors of the Columbine High School shooting irrevocably rocked the world at large, questioning our collective sense of safety when it comes to our most vulnerable population. However, this has not remained an isolated incident; in fact, firearms are currently the number one cause of death for children in the United States. For the amount of freedoms and sophistication this country boasts, we seem to be wholly unwilling to put our money where our mouths are. I chose to use imagery of child soldiers to illustrate a childhood steeped in violence - the juxtaposition of innocence paired with deadly weaponry should feel jarring to any sane person. With a minimal color palette, the red of the colored pencil is in sharp contrast. The phrase “shooting stars” takes dual meanings here: cut-out star shapes litter the frame like bullet holes around a literal shooter, as well as the fact that - in our absence of action to pass comprehensive firearm legislation - we are allowing the light of so many bright stars be snuffed out.
About the Artist
Laura Ellstrom (b. 1991) is a queer multidisciplinary visual artist currently based in Columbus, Ohio. Their approach to collage is more intuitive than determined, letting the materials inform the outcome by following thematic patterns and synchronistic threads. Within these abstract narratives - exploring topics both emotional and philosophical - Laura aims to inspire inquiry more rather than provide declaration; like in poetry, she believes that sometimes less can say more.
www.lauraellstrom.com/@lauraellstrom
Pulp Stiction: Collage as an Act of Resistance. Hopkins Hall Gallery, OSU, Oct 26 to Dec 11, 2026.
Artist: Laura Ellstrom (Columbus, OH)
Sales for this work are handled by Pulp Stiction. Payment is made through this page.
Year: 2026 | Medium: Mixed-media cut paper collage, colored pencil, acrylic | Dimensions: 16 x 20 inches | Display: Wall-hung (2D)
Artist Statement
When is enough enough? It was 1999 when the horrors of the Columbine High School shooting irrevocably rocked the world at large, questioning our collective sense of safety when it comes to our most vulnerable population. However, this has not remained an isolated incident; in fact, firearms are currently the number one cause of death for children in the United States. For the amount of freedoms and sophistication this country boasts, we seem to be wholly unwilling to put our money where our mouths are. I chose to use imagery of child soldiers to illustrate a childhood steeped in violence - the juxtaposition of innocence paired with deadly weaponry should feel jarring to any sane person. With a minimal color palette, the red of the colored pencil is in sharp contrast. The phrase “shooting stars” takes dual meanings here: cut-out star shapes litter the frame like bullet holes around a literal shooter, as well as the fact that - in our absence of action to pass comprehensive firearm legislation - we are allowing the light of so many bright stars be snuffed out.
About the Artist
Laura Ellstrom (b. 1991) is a queer multidisciplinary visual artist currently based in Columbus, Ohio. Their approach to collage is more intuitive than determined, letting the materials inform the outcome by following thematic patterns and synchronistic threads. Within these abstract narratives - exploring topics both emotional and philosophical - Laura aims to inspire inquiry more rather than provide declaration; like in poetry, she believes that sometimes less can say more.
www.lauraellstrom.com/@lauraellstrom
Pulp Stiction: Collage as an Act of Resistance. Hopkins Hall Gallery, OSU, Oct 26 to Dec 11, 2026.