Artists Wed and Show New Works at Long View Gallery Friday

The new Long View Gallery will undoubtedly be the place to have one's wedding reception or rehearsal dinner for years to come. This Friday, the gallery will host what will likely be one of their more unique weddings, at which notable D.C. artists Dana Ellyn and Matt Sesow will unveil a show of matrimonial-themed works entitled "Till Death Do Us Part" and exchange vows. Below is the press release for the event, which is open to the public (but you must R.S.V.P. to info@longviewgallery.com). The show will run through March 1.

Art Brings Us Together: Till Death Do Us Part
Matt Sesow, Dana Ellyn Gallery Exhibit at Long View Gallery Opens February 5 With Couple’s Wedding (Washington, DC)

Where do two artists meet and fall in love? At an art show, of course. On Friday, February 5, from 6:30 – 9:30 PM, two of Washington, DC’s most celebrated local artists will tie the knot at Long View Gallery at 1234 9th St NW. During the opening night reception for Dana Ellyn and Matt Sesow’s “Till Death Do Us Part” art exhibition, the long-time couple will exchange nuptials. The couple is inviting all of DC’s artists, collectors, and art enthusiasts to the public event.

It all started eight years ago when a friend suggested to Dana Ellyn that she check out a venue for her premiere art show. While she liked the space and the art that was on exhibit, she was most attracted to the man behind the paint and canvas, the artist Matt Sesow. Sesow also liked what he saw and invited Ellyn to “see his studio,” which she interpreted correctly as artistic code language for inviting her on a date. Over time, the two found synchronicity in a rhythm together as full-time artists. Painting canvasses and producing art shows mark the beats of their lives.

The “Till Death Do Us Part” exhibition and wedding will be a landmark event for the DC art scene, as well as the couple’s lives. Sesow and Ellyn have challenged themselves to address the meaning of marriage through art. You will see all the myriad hues of married life, the “the good times and the bad times and in sickness or in health.” In Ellyn’s “Institution of Marriage,” the couple wears straight jackets with untouched wedding cake lying nearby. Sesow also takes on the complicated feelings of love, pain and commitment in his “Til Death Do Us Part” as the celebratory couple stands ready to stab each other with sharpened knives, while a bright red heart pulses above. Their artwork also shows the confidence and comfort of marriage. Ellyn’s “Date Night” is a portrait of a beaming woman, sipping two-buck Chuck with curlers in her hair and red booties on her feet. Only a truly happy wife could pull of that look and make it sexy.

Ask Sesow what the marriage means, he jokes, “We get to share paint.” Together, the couple shares canvas, acrylic paint, time together in their studios, and they share the spotlight as two of DC’s sought-after artists. Ellyn’s recent Blasphemy Day show grabbed CNN, NPR, and USA Today headlines, while Sesow’s political art made Artnet Magazine’s top-10 for 2009 list.

For the “Til Death Do Us Part” Long View Gallery exhibit, running February 5 to March 1, 2010, Sesow and Ellyn fill the space with a diversity of work, including Sesow’s 100 for $100 small works and Ellyn’s large oil on canvas. Sesow’s work is an emotional response with a foundation built on personal childhood trauma and disability, growth, healing, and a reaction to politics, policies, travels, and life experiences. Ellyn’s colorsaturated work is exemplified by a risk-taking vision and playful, yet scathing, critiques of social norms. Both are exploring new materials to create unique sculptures reflecting this next stage in their lives. Sesow's unique sculptures will be created using kitty litter.

“Til Death Do Us Part” Long View Gallery show, running February 5 to March 1

Long View Gallery
1234 Ninth Street, Northwest
202.232.4788