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The quietness outside, the ability to be a voyeur, how funny and shameless and alive the city is, and will probably always be, even without you in it. Ellis gets what’s so special about it all; she is the first, and perhaps last, great New York City pandemic painter. 27 October, 2021

Through distorted recollection rather than photo reference, Ellis’ voyeuristic paintings capture everyday scenes throughout the city. From a couple dining outdoors in subzero temperatures to an apartment building façade punctuated by a man watching porn on a huge TV with his window open, Maggie Ellis captures the feeling of living in New York City and never really knowing what strange things you may encounter. 27 October, 2021

The work, titled Sparrow with Shadows (2020), depicts a city sidewalk, desolate save for a hunched man, the titular sparrow, and a face mask–clad woman walking down the street." 28 May, 2020