I am fascinated by the tensions between the minute and the monumental, and the importance of how we orient ourselves in the idea of being “here” in the context of our own historic “there.” My work bears witness to the joy of the present moment through the prism of past moments.

My practice begins with my journey through life, specifically the impressions I gather during travel. I bring together my digital observations of the world around me into a cohesive statement that pays homage the historic places and cultures I visit, with my reality of my onlooker’s outsider’s gaze.

When I return to my studio and sit in front of my screen, I begin to search for the essential aspects of my visuals. I remove the superfluous and emphasize what is important. Magically, there is always some point that I find myself completely disengaged in the subject matter and lost in the flow of color and pixel. I find myself in negotiation with shapes. Then as I step back, I am often surprised by how the subject holds together throughout this process. And since my focus is a pixel-by-pixel process, I am thrilled when it is produced in a large format and humbled by the momentous nature of each precious moment.

Elena Lipkowski is an American new media artist who explores concepts of place and memory. Born in Los Angeles, she has lived and worked in Austin, Texas for much of her adult life. Her journey from an accomplished advertising and graphic design career to fine art and art history underpins a quest for a clear communication of visual messaging. Working digitally allows her to balance the analytical and creative aspects of her mind, while a never-ending pursuit of traditional craft fulfills her tactile need to connect with the deep rivers of art history.

Elena's work is strongly graphic, delicately layered, and visually grounded in a soothing sense of calm.

This is a result of the countless hours she devotes to teasing and burnishing pixels until the work’s true essence emerges.

She considers this time spent to be an act of mindfulness and that the breath-work she employs imbues a peaceful energy.