honorable mention
Ellen Jantzen united states
title
Coming Into Focus
A new environment can bring both delight and a fear of the unknown. How does one grow into feeling at home?
In this series I am 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 relocating 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.
I approach this new work as both a window through which I observe my new surrounds (recording what I see) and a mirror where I bring my sensibilities to bear, reflecting my inner state of being. I use layering and blending modes to merge the observed environment with my internal intuition.
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.
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entry description
Coming Into FocusA new environment can bring both delight and a fear of the unknown. How does one grow into feeling at home?
In this series I am 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 relocating 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.
I approach this new work as both a window through which I observe my new surrounds (recording what I see) and a mirror where I bring my sensibilities to bear, reflecting my inner state of being. I use layering and blending modes to merge the observed environment with my internal intuition.
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.
about the photographer
I don’t consider myself a "photographer" but an image-maker, as I create work that bridges the world of photography, prints and collage. As digital cameras began producing excellent resolution, I found my perfect medium. It was a true confluence of technical advancements and creative desire that culminated in my current explorations in photo-inspired art using both a camera to capture imagery and a computer to alter, combine and manipulate the pieces. My work is shown and published internationally.back to gallery
