Ellie Brown - LENSCRATCH

Ellie Brown by Aline SmithsonFebruary 6, 2011

I remember once cleaning out my purse, when my children were young, and thinking that I was lucky no one wanted to see the contents: a black banana, all forms of trash, small trucks, a rubber severed finger, half eaten candy bars, a mouth guard, a sticky wallet, and probably a kitchen knife. Fortunately for me, Ellie Brown was nowhere nearby. But for plenty of other unsuspecting people, she has looked into and is continuing to explore, what we carry around with us.

Ellie has captured over 50 people and the contents of their bags, but is hoping to capture a less urban population than she has previously photographed. Ellie is looking to raise monies for a trip to Glasgow,Montana, through a fundraising program with United States Artists. United States Artists (USA) is a grant-making, artist-advocacy organization dedicated to supporting America’s finest artists working across diverse disciplines. After decades of dwindling public support, at USA, artists now have a home where they may find significant private funding—unrestricted cash grants—to ignite the creativity that makes this country great.

More information on The BAG Project can be found here. Instead of throwing away your money in office Superbowl pools, throw it toward a concrete result. Ellie will have a solo exhibition of this project at the Glasgow Goodkind Gallery in June.

Chris, 23, Park District Arborist, 2010