B: 1971, Los Angeles, California
James D. Phelan Award in Photography, 2007
Double photo edition released in September 2009. Available here: Bowlers and Penguin
2008
"GonerFest 5 Opening Ceremonies" : Goner Records Gallery : Memphis, TN
"Horses, Dolls, And Other Junk" : Reading Frenzy Gallery : Portland, OR
2010
"Rock Show II" : Rite Spot Gallery : San Francisco, CA
2009
"Ersatz" : SF Camerawork : San Francisco, CA
"Rock Show" : Rite Spot Gallery : San Francisco, CA
2008
"Welcome All - Photos by Geoffrey Ellis and Andrew Scott" : Needles and Pens Gallery : San Francisco, CA
"ACVC 08" : AudioCinema : Portland, OR
2007
"Phelan Award Exhibition" : Juried by Daniell Cornell, Curator of American Art and Director of Contemporary Art Projects at the de Young Museum,
and Lisa Dent, director of the Lisa Dent Gallery in San Francisco : SF Camerawork : San Francisco, CA
"ACVC Show" : AudioCinema : Portland, OR
"Our World" : SF Arts Commission/PhotoAlliance : Juried by Thom Sempere, Linda Conner and Anne Birle Veh : @ SFAC Gallery : San Francisco, CA
2006
"New in Town" : Humble Arts Foundation : Curated by Jon Feinstein, Stephen Schuster, Emiliano Granado and Rebecca Smeyne : Gallery at 3rd Ward : Brooklyn, NY
"Class of '06" : Lantana Projects : Curated by Ian Lemmonds : 387 S. Main : Memphis, TN
"Pure Plastic 06" : SF Photo Center : San Francisco, CA
2005
"Art Relief Katrina" : My Trick Pony : San Francisco, CA
"Pure Plastic 05" : SF Photo Center : San Francisco, CA
Sadkids is a self-published photo zine that comes out roughly once a year. It's principally a way for me
to get my photography in people's hands. It has been sold in shops all over the world, including SF, LA,
NY, Portland and Paris, and was part of the Nieves Books Zine Library Show in Tokyo.
Geoffrey Ellis is a photographer who went to school to be a graphic designer. His dad gave him his first camera
way back in 1989, which he used until it was stolen from his car along with a full basket of clean laundry.
He publishes a photo-zine called Sadkids, loves road trips, collecting junk and taking pictures.
He was a recipient of the 2007 James D. Phelan Art Award in photography.
He has lived in southern California, all over Florida and in Memphis. He currently resides in SF’s Mission District
with his beautiful wife, a lot of junk and a bunch of cats.
For more work visit: geoffreyellis.com and sadkids.com
I love junk. And since I'm not allowed to bring any more into the house, I now photograph it. My project,
Horses, Dolls, and Other Junk, pays homage to items in flea markets, junk shops, record shops, second-hand
stores and personal collections. Across seemingly disjointed images of old toys, decaying photographs and
porn that was once hot, a greater picture of unpolished America emerges.
I document these once-majestic items in their limbo. At one time shiny and new, these things are now only perfect
to me in their current environment: inside a glass case, on a flea market tarp or on a pegboard shelf. These are things
that have seemingly lost all value, with a price crudely written on a jagged patch of masking tape. Items once loved,
or once mass-consumed, waiting for a new owner, and forlornly seeking a new home.