ELIZABETH SHER: Bound, Unbound, Rebound

January 3 – February 1, 2025

Artist’s Reception: Sunday, January 12, 2 – 4 pm

Panel Discussion: Sunday, January 19, 2 – 4 pm

Elizabeth Sher has always approached her art through series, much like a musician creating albums across different genres, yet maintaining a signature style. At the beginning of her career as a printmaker, in the 1970s, Sher sought to push the boundaries of traditional etching by extending the image beyond the plate and onto the surrounding paper in a series of images of rope. As she worked on them, she realized they were symbolic of the limitations she felt in her life as a mother, wife, professor, and practicing artist in a predominantly sexist era. In response to these personal and societal constraints, Sher began making images of bags and women bound with rope. Working on large unstretched canvases, she layered silk-screened images with paint and drawing to visually express those boundaries.
Humor, for Sher, also became a tool of resistance — a way to challenge the seriousness of the art world and subvert the expectations placed on women of that time. This newfound freedom infused her art practice as she moved forward with each series reflecting her authentic self.
While Sher’s work has continued to evolve, society has unfortunately experienced a setback following the recent election. So with her children grown and after decades of teaching and exhibiting, she returns to the imagery of rope, expanding on this earlier theme. Her recent work incorporates a rich array of materials: paint, oil stick, acrylic, pastel, digital layering, and video, allowing her to reinterpret her artistic past while simultaneously moving beyond the limitations that once defined her.
In her exhibition Bound, Unbound, Rebound, Sher skillfully balances the personal and political, the historical and contemporary. Her technical mastery and conceptual depth shine through, inviting viewers to explore the complexities of the female experience. 

PANEL DISCUSSION

SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2-4 pm

with Dr. Amalia Mesa Bains, Mildred Howard, M. Louise Stanley, and Ruth Tabancay

Join four renowned Bay Area women artists as they reflect on their decades-long journeys in the art world.  By sharing their stories, challenges, activism, and achievements, they will inspire artists of all ages, genders, and backgrounds to persevere in their creative pursuits. With Elizabeth Sher moderating, expect an engaging and thought-provoking discussion that celebrates creativity and resilience.

Seating is limited. RSVP to https://bit.ly/elizabethsher