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BIOGRAPHYElizabeth Wagner is a self-taught, 3rd generation, multi-awarded photographer and multidisciplinary artist specializing in digital art, filmmaking, mixed-media sculpture, and upcycled crafts. Wagner’s photography and internationally-acclaimed short films have been published by over 100 media outlets worldwide including Comedy Central, ABC, Yahoo!, Country Living, Metro France, NHK Japan, Taiwan’s Eastern Television, the Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, and 9GAG. She has an active contract with Storyful, the internet’s leading social content agency. Her portfolio features sweets, portraits, wildlife, landscapes, and abstractions shot throughout Eastern Long Island, across the continental U.S., and abroad in Russia, Belgium, Ireland, Amsterdam, and England. Local exhibits include East End Arts, Guild Hall’s Spiga Gallery, the Old Town Arts & Crafts Guild, and the Westhampton Free Library, where she debuted her 68 piece mother-daughter project “Flowers & Candy” in February, 2016. She is also a recipient of several fine art competition ribbons including 2nd in Abstractions at the Friends of the Riverhead Free Library’s 50th Annual Photography Contest and 1st in Photography, Viewer's Choice in Photography, and Viewer's Choice in Handmade Crafts at the Old Town Arts.& Crafts Guild's Spring Juried Art Competition with Juror Max Moran. As an active member of the local arts community, Wagner regularly volunteers, collaborates, and sells with East End Arts, Guild Hall, and the Old Town Arts & Crafts Guild where she teaches upcycled design in the innovative children’s program Green Project Runway. She holds a Master of Public Administration in Urban Planning and Public Information Management from the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy at SUNY Albany, a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Stony Brook University, a Certificate in Comparative Social Policy from the University of Amsterdam and a Certificate in Foreign Language & Culture from St. Petersburg State University in Russia. |
ARTIST STATEMENT |
As a photographer and multidisciplinary artist I create projects that unite people of every age, race, gender, and class in communal experiences of delight. Whether I'm producing an event, photograph, sculpture, or film, I work to evoke a sense of wonder in the young and nostalgia in the young-at-heart. I use the central themes of color, nature, and sweets to present universally-relatable subject matter in new and interesting ways - encouraging discussion and promoting interactivity among my audience.
My portfolio takes the term “eye candy” quite literally, featuring vivid candy photos and colorful manipulations of the natural world. It ranges from simplistically beautiful collages to anthropomorphic gummy bear scenes to conceptual works steeped in double entendres, visual puns, and satire. When selecting my props, materials, and subjects, I seek out vibrant, unique pieces with a story to tell. As a self-taught artist, I draw inspiration from fine art, commercial photography, artisanal craftsmanship, minimalism, and various other concepts. I strive to use my skills as an urban planner, artist, and creative entrepreneur to promote community development and engage communities in adorably entertaining productions that bring out the inner child in each of us. |
© ELIZABETH WAGNER ART 2016