Elizabeth Chiles

Elizabeth Chiles (b. 1975) delves into realms beyond the physical to explore themes of time, peace, contemplation, and interconnectedness in her evocative photographs. Her work are reflections of her own inquires about life, meaning, and the future of the planet. She finds inspiration in seasonal changes of her garden and witnessing her daughter’s growth. Throughout Stardust Dialogues, Chiles draws attention to vital and intangible forces–light, time, and energy–found in every aspect of nature.

The photographs from Stardust Dialogues and Bread and Roses are made in the artist's studio using a light box, fabric, and pressed plants that she harvests from her garden. Built in layers, the works feature sunflowers and other star-shaped flowers in the Asteraceae family.

In Time Being, Chiles photographs the flora in her garden in front of and behind a linen curtain. The ambient compositions comprise plant life, shadows, and silhouettes of the natural world on the other side of the transparent fabric.

The Poppies Seeing Poppies images act as portraits, and singular silhouettes of poppies are showcased. The compositions evoke the experience of looking through a window.

The Weave series began in 2017 when her daughter was a baby at a time when the artist was teaching her to interact with the living world and appreciate the vitality of plants. In the series, Chiles digitally layers photographs made in her garden.

Elizabeth Chiles is a lens-based artist and educator living in Austin, TX. Her work has been widely exhibited, including Over Time, a solo exhibition at Pump Project nominated for best solo show in Austin, 15 to Watch at the Austin Museum of Art (now The Contemporary Austin), and the Texas Biennial. She is included in The Collector’s Guide to New Art Photography, organized by Humble Arts at the Chelsea Art Museum, NY. Chiles holds a BA in art history from Columbia University and an MFA in photography from San Francisco Art Institute.

Submitted by Richard Levy Gallery