Elizabeth Zanzinger
“Artefex panels have made my studio practice a joy. Over the last few years, I’ve been working to unburden myself from obstacles in my process the prevent me from jumping right into my work: just painting. I despise stretching canvas, and wood panels can be especially cumbersome and susceptible to environmental effects. I love painting on ACM; I get to work in a very traditional manner on a space-age material, and I find the juxtaposition exciting. Artefex panels are lightweight, portable, and super sturdy- they are my go-to for paintings both large and small.”
Grounded in a rich tradition of representation Elizabeth Zanzinger’s work creates a bridge between the real and the imagined. She paints ephemeral spaces in which magic can exist alongside us, where nature intervenes and commonplace things may not be quite as they seem. The viewer is drawn in by passages of exquisite detail, juxtaposed by her vigorous brush work which mirrors and reinforces the duality in her subject matter. In execution and narrative Zanzinger offers an opportunity to contemplate and converse about contemporary life, the options open to us, and the possibilities.
Elizabeth Zanzinger has won national competitions and has been collected and published internationally, including work at the Museu Europea d’Art Modern (MEAM) in Barcelona, Spain. She was recently a featured finalist in the Art Renewal Center and Portrait Society of America’s annual competitions. In addition to her personal work, she has occasionally taken on large commissions. Most notably, for the NASA Ames Research Center in California, where she had the priviledge of indulging in her keen interest for applied and theoretical science.
Elizabeth Zanzinger paints full-time in Oakland, California. She studied at the Aristides Atelier and Gage Academy of Fine Art in Seattle and finished her education with a fellowship at the Grand Central Academy, New York City, in 2012.
Artist Statement
Painting is the language that comes most naturally to me. A mark represents a moment in time, the sum of which is intended to capture a fragment of a fleeting thought or dream. The genesis of a work is both delicate and violent, I use this rhythm to investigate my astonishment and fascination with human form and consciousness. I choose painting because it is unassuming but powerful in its silence. My work is representational, but always searching for that thing beyond the surface.
Elizabeth’s Favorite Artefex Panels
