Bio

Elisabeth Ladwig is an award-winning photographic artist living in the New Jersey Highlands, where an abundance of protected land offers endless creative inspiration. Her work explores modern surrealism with the convergence of photography, graphic design, and collage art. Fueling Elisabeth’s creations is a grade-school revelation connecting science, nature, and magic: 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. Today, she offers viewers a variety of metaphors for the miracles all around us, and 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 allows the viewer to take part in writing the story," she says, "and that story is going to be different for everyone."

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 productions and major motion pictures. Her current work has appeared in venues from Scottsdale to Rome, on magazine covers, and on digital displays in Times Square and at the Louvre.

Statement

I was eleven when I decided adults were wrong: magic does exist.

As I lay in the grass watching pre-tornado skies, I realized it was all around me, hidden behind the sciences of meteorology, botany, astronomy... the warmth of miracles overshadowed by equations and proofs. It became clear that the beauty of science, nature, and magic was one and the same, and it saddened me that the miraculous nature of it all had been dismissed so irresponsibly over time. Nature is full of stories of creativity, courage, and survival, inspiring me to be more aware of how I might craft my own life. Photo compositing allows me to create metaphorical reminders of the magic and miracles all around us in an attempt to bring humanity back home to its roots: kin of the Earth. So with a nod to Mother Nature and her fairytale existence, I work to seek out equal beauty in the storm as in the sunrise.