On a hot day in her apartment in Santa Monica, Ellie Pritts was grappling with a task that she could once do effortlessly – drawing a portrait. Her hand would uncontrollably spasm and ache like stabbing pins and needles, making it impossible for her to finish the drawing that would be a birthday gift for her partner.

It was her neurological condition that had ended her promising career as a cellist, had on occasion hindered her ability to walk, and now was threatening to strip away her ability to create art.

So, Ellie created a world for herself, in the screen, where she could be anything and everything; where both daydreams and reality occur, and colors are loud and smell like sweet summer nights.

In The Screen I Am Everything by Ellie Pritts | Digital Art Explained

In The Screen I Am Everything is a 57 second-long silent video artwork by the multimedia artist Ellie Pritts. The work celebrates the screen as a playground without the boundaries of physical reality, and invites us to the infinite possibility and potential of digital space.

Symbolism: The Three Ellies

The colors and imagery within the artwork reflect Pritts’ own experiences and dreams in a metaphoric universe, starting with three versions of herself which morph into each other. The artist embodies varied states of being and offers insights into her own interpretation of one’s transformation within the cycle of life.

One of the Ellies is wearing a hoodie – like monks, nuns, or priests do, which often represents an inward focus. The Ellies cover their faces with their hands to disguise themselves, and then look directly into the camera to meet the eyes of the viewer with the desire to confront and provoke self-awareness.

One can’t help but think about the fourth Ellie, in front of her computer creating this piece, looking back at the infinite manifestations of herself. The self-reflectivity of the work is powerful.

Symbolism: The Elders

Around midway into the video a somewhat “dream sequence” begins – we depart from real images into an animated world, and immediately the two Ellies in the back morph into an older woman and an older man.

They’re placed high up but in the background within the frame, so they somewhat feel like ancestors or figures from the past – they could be symbolic representations of the artist's own heritage or cultural background.

An older man often represents wisdom and guidance, and an older woman represents the feminine archetype or the creative force.

So the two Ellies becoming them suggests the influence of these people on the artist. Even if it’s a dream on a screen where anything is possible, our family roots and upbringing come find us and they do have an impact on us.

These elders just emerge and pass, signifying the passage of time and the inevitability of change.

Symbolism: Birds and Butterflies

Throughout the dream sequence, birds and butterflies transform into each other and effortlessly appear and disappear on the screen.

Butterflies are a more obvious symbol for metamorphosis as they transform from caterpillars, and this natural transformation is often symbolic for personal growth, renewal, and the emergence of something beautiful.

Both butterflies and birds can fly so they symbolize the ability to rise above challenges, bringing us back to the artist’s neurological condition. Them morphing from one into the other can symbolize a process of change and personal growth. It may suggest a fluidity in identity or a journey towards self-discovery.

And back to the title of the piece – the screen is where any and all limitations disappear, and the artist carries this idea to real life by reminding us that it’s possible because of our ability to transform and change and adapt. It’s all part of the cycle of life.

Symbolism: Sun and Moon

In line with the themes of the passing of time, in the background the Sun turns into the Moon and then back to the Sun, emphasizing the rhythmic cycles and the constant process of change, growth, and rebirth that’s inherent in nature.

It reminds us that periods of darkness and introspection are followed by brightness and illumination. In that sense, the Moon is often associated with the subconscious and the Sun with awareness – quite meaningful in a dream sequence!

Similarly, we see imagery of clouds, the ocean, a mountain… all flowing with ease, transforming into one another. There is a house that keeps reshaping, symbolizing how new spaces, or new people, become our home.

All come and go. Nothing is here to stay, except for the self – the ever-changing, transforming, becoming, self.

Hear the silence

It’s significant that the video lacks sound – this may be to emphasize the visual elements of the work and to allow the viewer to engage more deeply with the visual symbolism and details within the artwork without any auditory distraction.

The absence of sound creates a great contrast between our visual and audial senses – contrasting colorful and vibrant visuals and such movement with the lack of any sound balances out the work.

This also creates a sense of isolation when engaging with the artwork, making it more open to interpretation. Without a specific audio narrative or music that tells us what to feel, viewers are free to bring their own emotions, thoughts, and interpretations to the visual experience. This allows a more subjective and personal engagement with the artwork.

It’s a reminder of the old silent films before the advent of synchronized sound recording, which gives a sense of nostalgia.

*Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird, 1940 by Frida Kahlo*

Inspirations: Frida Kahlo’s Self-Portraits

We can appreciate Ellie Pritts’s work in relation to Frida Kahlo’s self portraits.

Frida Kahlo is probably the most famous female painter that has ever lived – she endured so much physical and emotional pain throughout her life and depicted her suffering in her paintings. While Kahlo’s art overtly represents her pain, Ellie Pritts’ art offers more of an escape from them.

We wouldn’t possibly be able to tell Ellie’s condition if it wasn’t for the letter she published alongside her collection. Her art is colorful, vibrant, and joyful. Because in the screen, where she is everything, pain doesn’t exist.

Both artists’ works depict them with a stoic and distant facial expression, which implies a certain acceptance of the present moment, regardless of its difficulties. Stoicism is often associated with calm endurance and resilience in the face of challenges. In line with all the symbolism around transformations, the video work conveys a sense of embracing the inevitable ups and downs of life.

We can also talk about the two artists’ works in terms of multiple representations of self. In the famous The Two Fridas we see the indigenous Mexican Frida and the European Frida – the artist explains them as the Frida her husband loves, and the one he doesn’t. This is a painful division, an impossible duality in the painter’s life.

In contrast, Ellie doesn’t have to choose – on the screen, she can morph into any version of herself she wants. She celebrates all of them, and this is not so much a separation but a colorful whole.

Creating with AI

To create this video, Ellie Pritts first filmed herself in front of a green screen and later manipulated the cadence, pattern, and hue of the analog video with glitch responses. She combined text prompts from her journals with stylistic prompts using AI to generate the environments of each scene.

Her process involves dozens of back and forth exchanges with AI, manipulating the output using Procreate to draw and paint over the outcome and feeding it back to the AI to create her dreamscape. She moves between virtual and physical space, which creates so much dynamism.

The medium is very much in line with the meaning of the work – the unpredictability of AI works perfectly with the themes around constant transformation and infinite possibilities within the cycle of life.

The artist admits that she was discouraged by the “common misconceptions about what it means to be an artist using AI” and that a lot of people “still think that AI art is only as simple as typing something into Google,” but nevertheless she circulated her art professionally and got recognized by prestigious galleries.

Despite polarized reviews and violent debates, Ellie Pritts stayed determined to share her story. It was when she felt she needed to defend her art that she realized she was on the cutting edge of something very important, and that her story and her art is important. She did not need anyone else to give her a voice.

Because among all the people who don’t get it, or simply don’t care about it, an artist has to stay behind their work. Ellie Pritts is an inspiration for anyone struggling with confidence in their work, or feeling misunderstood even though they’re creating something personal and meaningful. Your voice matters. Your art matters.