Miniature Mountains

January 8, 2025 - May 13, 2025

In this series of digitally manipulated photographs, Ellen Jantzen delves into the impact of one's environmental surroundings on the psyche, and how this relationship evolves through relocations. Her move from the relatively flat Midwest to the mountainous West, specifically, New Mexico, required her to adapt her methods of working and seeing. Initially daunted by the landscape, Jantzen soon found herself striving to bring her new home into focus, making it her own.

Jantzen has always been fascinated by mountains - their formation, evolution, and beauty. She finds the history of geology captivating, with the ebb and flow of minerals, deposits, and formations. The notion that small rocks and stones are essentially miniature mountains, composed of the same materials, intrigues her. Ratio, proportion, and relative size all contribute to the grandeur of these structures.

Ellen Jantzen, born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, earned an advanced degree from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles. Her work is distinguished by a unique approach to altering and manipulating original digital photographs. Jantzen layers, re-colors, and digitally manipulates images to create two-dimensional works that seamlessly blend traditional and digital art forms.

Ellen Jantzen, Unexpected Geology Series, Equilibrium, Digital Montage on Aluminum, 24" x 26", Collection #10768