Not considering herself a “photographer” but an image-maker, Ellen Jantzen creates work that bridges the world of photography, prints and collage. As digital cameras began producing excellent resolution, Ellen found her perfect medium. It was a true confluence of technical advancements and creative desire that culminated in her current explorations in photo-inspired art using both a camera to capture imagery and a computer to alter, combine and manipulate the pieces. Her work is shown and published internationally; just recently she was awarded First Prize, Fine Art in the prestigious PX3, Prix de la Photographie Paris for her series “Transplanting Reality; Transcending Nature” Ellen is being recognized as an innovator and her work has been shown in galleries and museums world-wide as well as numerous web-based sites. Ellen is represented by, among others, the Susan Spiritus Gallery in Newport Beach CA and the Bruno David Gallery in St. Louis MO. Ellen’s work can also be seen on her website: http://www.ellenjantzen.com/ The following 5 images are from my series, “Coming Into Focus” I create work that bridges the world of photography, prints and collage. Lately, I have been exploring the realm of one’s environmental surroundings, how it is absorbed into one’s psyche and how this changes through relocations. In these days of refuges moving from their homelands to distant places, my move from the Midwest to the West may seem trivial, but there are still feelings of dislocation and assimilation that take place. A new environment can bring both delight and a fear of the unknown. How does one grow into feeling at home? I’m striving to visually capture the essence of my new environment while at the same time learning to understand. Add to that a landscape (the American West) that is fraught with cliché, and I find myself aspiring to bring my new home into focus, to make it my own.
© Ellen Jantzen | Artist Biography, Artworks & Gallery | www.ellenjantzen.com
