I've always been interested in the theatrical nature of drawing and its ability to highlight and manipulate form. Growing up in a family of classical musicians and performers, I was surrounded by theatrical imagery and environments early on, with sets, lighting, masks, as well as personalities that blurred the lines between emotion on and off stage. In my work, I like to consider my own relationship with performance by making surreal images that walk the line between animate and inanimate, often shown through characters in a variety of abstract states.

Eliot Rattle, born in the UK, moved to San Francisco in 1997. In 2008, he attended Sarah Lawrence College in New York where his drawing and painting would develop alongside his interest in film history. During this time, he completed a year-long program in Italy, where Italian film and portraiture greatly inspired his work. In 2013, he attended San Francisco Art Institute, where he began to expand his work outside of portraits. Eliot Rattle has shown work in the Bay Area and abroad, including shows in Italy and London, recently completing artist residencies at the Journal Building and with Upper Market Gallery in San Francisco.