Ellen Jantzen was born and raised in St. Louis Missouri. Her early college years were spent obtaining a degree in graphic arts; later emphasizing fine art.
Ellen spent two years at FIDM (the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising) in downtown Los Angeles. Here, she obtained her advanced degree in 1992.
After a few years working in the industry, including several years at Mattel Toy Company as a senior project designer, she became disillusioned with the corporate world and longed for a more creative outlet. Having been trained in computer design while at Mattel, Ellen continued her training on her own using mostly Photoshop software.
Ellen doesn’t consider herself a “photographer” but an image-maker, as she creates work that bridges the world of photography, prints and collage. As digital cameras began producing excellent resolution, she 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 best described as “photomontages”
Ellen’s work is shown and published internationally.
The National Museum Of Women In The Arts, New Mexico State Committee chose Ellen as their “Artist Spotlight” for the month of February 2020
First Place Winner – 14th Pollux Award (2019), for her series “Mid+West
Gold Winner In The Annual Tokyo International Foto Awards for her series, Coming Into Focus. Her work was exhibited at the ICA Gallery, Tokyo from May 12-16 2018.
She was awarded “Special Photographer of The Year” in the 2017 International Photography Awards.
She was one of 15 women photographers chosen to receive the Julia Margaret Cameron Award. This is quite a distinction in the photography world honoring women photographers. Along with the honor, Ellen participated in the Berlin Biennial that took place in October 2016.
