elizabeth opalenik
I left home in 1969 to the sound of peace marches and my mother saying, "I knew you were different from the time you were two." From the farm in western Pennsylvania to the shores of Connecticut, I slowly started to evolve as an artist from my former lives managing the accounting department for Continental Oil Company, managing jazz clubs and as "A MS-Placed Lady" in my construction/design company. In 1979, after a two-week photographic workshop in Maine, I sold everything and never looked back.
I am a photographic artist, educator, mordançeuse, and freelance photographer traveling the world with my camera and I love it. Philanthropic projects keep me grounded and connected universally.
I believe that all good photographs are self-portraits and know that my many former lives manifest themselves in my images. My heart remains in my darkroom working in the Mordançage process, but I use today's technology when appropriate to explore all the creative paths.
My first monograph, "Poetic Grace: Elizabeth Opalenik Photographs 1979-2007" is available by emailing me. My photographs are collected and published internationally and all work is for sale. Mordançage images are unique, others are silver gelatin, platinum, handpainted, carbon prints, or digitally printed in very limited editions on beautiful handmade papers. Prices range from $500 to $3500. Please inquire or contact the galleries that represent me.
Between 2020 and 2021, I conjured into existence "Workshop Stories: changed through photography" involving stories and images from over 100 icons in the contemporary history of photographic workshops. Jay Maisel wrote the foreword.
