As a child from the industrial Midwest, The Cleveland Art Museum became a lasting source of inspiration. Aspects of cubism and futurism allowed Ellis to reconstruct carousel horses and medieval armor. The speed and movement of the early works in this series communicate a restlessness to fix an image in time. This idea was clarified later by Ellis’s connection with the poem, Chevaux de Bois, by Paul Verlaine. In the poem, horses turn around the carousel, never getting anywhere despite the fun and noise. Featured works from 1940s-2012, include pieces from his self-titled series: The Merry Go Round (MGR), Carousel and The Endless Race.

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