art, culture & entertainment
Elisabeth Ladwig OUR BERKSHIRETIMES MAGAZINE'S MAY-JUNE COVER ARTIST
A
ge 11, I think. That’s about the age when I decided adults were wrong: magic does exist. As I lay in the grass watching pretornado skies, I realized it was all around me, hidden behind the sciences of meteorology, botany, astronomy . . . the warmth of miracles suppressed by experiments and equations and proofs. It became clear that the beauty of science, nature, and magic was indeed one and the same, and it saddened me that the miraculous nature of it all had been dismissed so irresponsibly over time. Photo compositing allows me to create metaphorical reminders of the magic and miracles in an attempt to bring humanity back home to its roots: kin of the Earth. So with a nod to Mother Nature and her fairy tale existence, I work to seek out equal beauty in the storm as in the sunrise. ~ Elisabeth Ladwig Elisabeth Ladwig is an award-winning photographic artist living in West Milford, New Jersey, with her husband, David, and dog, April. Upon finishing her studies in graphic and digital design at Parsons School of Design in NYC, her artistic career began in the music industry where she designed for the likes of Liza Minnelli, Barry Manilow, and Patrick Stewart, as well as for Broadway and major motion pictures. Her work is the convergence of a graphic design career and a fondness for collage art and photography. A grade-school revelation connecting science, nature, and magic fuels her creations – the idea that all of life’s mysteries fall within the parameters of scientific explanation, that science abides by the Laws of Nature, and that all of it is magical. The result is a collection of surreal, painterly artworks that offers viewers a variety of metaphors for humankind’s relationship with the Earth and with the Cosmos. Once an idea is born in her sketchbook, Elisabeth sets out to take the photographs she needs to create the image. Her process is variable and spiritually instinctive; often, an image is well on its way or even completed before its concept is fully understood, and that meaning may vary from one viewing to the next. All of her scenes have a strong natural connection, set completely or partially outdoors, often with an anonymous subject. “Anonymity 8
May | June 2017
www.OurBerkshireTimes.com
allows the viewer to take part in writing the story,” she says, “and that story is going to be different for everyone.” Elisabeth’s current photo artistry has been represented by galleries from Scottsdale to Rome, and has been digitally displayed in Times Square and at the Louvre. Elisabeth’s work was also chosen for “Presenze” (“Presence”), an international exhibition of Women in the Arts 2016. Visit The Wit Gallery in Lenox, MA, to view more of Elisabeth’s work. You can also visit her website at www. elisabethonearth.com to order limited editions in a variety of sizes, unframed or framed. Each piece is printed on museum-grade, textured fine art paper (100% rag archival) with Canon IPF Pro-2000 and 11-color Lucia Pro pigment inks that ensure visibility of the smallest details, and colors that appear as fresh as day one, even after 100 years.