Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Elizabeth Gill Lui. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation; we’ve shared it below.

Elizabeth, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

I have been a full-time working artist since 1979. After a near fatal car accident at that time, my priorities changed, and I fully committed to my artistic and creative life. Since that time there have been many iterations of my income producing work, but it is primarily photo based, with my priority being an exhibition and publishing career.

Elizabeth, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

With five decades of an active career there are of course many projects, and a diverse range of exhibits, installation projects, and themes for my published books. As a photographer I have travelled extensively internationally for my documentary projects that have dealt with architectural subjects. I have been incredibly fortunate to have had generous support that allowed me to create deep bodies of work, on museums, embassies, vernacular architecture, and private art collections. In my 70’s now, I am particularly committed to creating art collections drawn on my extensive archives for medical and health and healing environments.

My philosophy of art–both the works themselves, and the path of being a practicing artist–is an earth based spirituality rooted in eastern philosophy and Native American life ways, Nature and geometry, parallel perfections in the seen world, are a constant in my aesthetic. I uphold a reverence for natural and humanly created manifestations of the sublime order of the Universe. As these directives inform my creative practice, I approach my fine art installations with the hope that my audience will be encouraged to seek within themselves reflections of the same beauty that the art works convey. The natural universe is a miraculous manifestation of complexity that works as an integrated whole, much like humans in microcosm. An awareness of nature allows us to feel the security of being a part of the infinite nature of being. This experience can come in many forms, from the direct to the metaphoric; from the walk through a garden to gazing at the new moon; to the reading of Robert Frost or Thoreau, to the viewing of great art. In the healing of body and spirit, I believe that Nature inspired Art can play a central part.

Among my current projects are a two drug rehab residential centers, a two-story Beverly Hills medical and surgery center, a hotel in Colorado, and a private residence in Arizona.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

In my work as an artist I try to cultivate a connection to the beauty of Nature as a healing experience. To stand in front of a piece of art that celebrates the beauty and wonders of Nature provides solace and hope. No matter where we find ourselves, people experience the fears and stress of life’s more difficult challenges, this experience can be transformative and invaluable.

As human beings we are intricately connected to the natural world. Nature is within us, as much as it is all around us. It is however, harder in the fast paced lives we have in an urban life style, to deeply connect with the power of Nature. As an artist I returned to using Nature as subject matter many years ago when I realized that to honor and celebrate this vital link was a source for a deep understanding of life, spirit and love. I came to believe that for a truly balanced life we must make nature part of our experience.

Nature is everywhere but it is up to us to make it part of our awareness. The oft-used truism ‘stop and smell the flowers’ is a potent reminder that by bringing ourselves into a relationship with nature we will be enriched. Nature-inspired work can create an environment that offers refuge and solace from the stresses that accompany our modern, fast-paced lives.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I was slow to become a believer in digital photography. One of my earliest books, SPIRIT AND FLIGHT (1995), on the architecture of the US Air Force Academy, had a disclaimer on the colophon page where I proudly noted that “no photograph in the book had been digitally altered in any manner whatsoever.” As a photographer during those years, it was a point of pride that the making of great photos rested on the photographer and her mastery of a camera.

By the turn of millennium however I had gone to the dark side and was fully equipped with a Nikon D1 DSL that could accommodate my full range of Nikon lenses. Released in 1999 the Nikon D1 was an amazing tool, and although it could not replace my Sinar 4×5 for architectural shooting, it began to fill a central role in my nature photography.

My current digital 35mm camera is a Sony A1. This mirrorless camera is an exceptional  tool that has become indispensable for ease of handling and quality of images. Being able to  use Photoshop in making digital corrections for the shift and tilt functions of a 4×5 has been  a breakthrough for shooting architecture.

As the iPhone has matured, I have become a true believer in the camera technology Apple has developed. To have miniaturized its cameras to the degree they have, allowing for such amazing image making capability, is for me the most alluring aspect of photography’s interface with digital technology. I LOVE my iPhone 14 Pro and feel it came around just in time for my aging body can no longer carry heavy large format equipment!

Adobe Photoshop, introduced in 1987, has been my tool for making ‘corrections’ in my digital photography, and for perfecting scanned analog images. It took me awhile, but I now fully embrace the computer as photography’s essential partner, believing any photo can be made better using these digital tools. On an illuminated computer screen, a photo can be hyper analyzed, and always improved.

I have been working in collage since the early 80’s, and in contrast to the digitally constructed collage pieces my collage work has always been one-of-a- kind hand assembled works. I have a strong belief in the value of the handmade work of art, and the inherent beauty and power it contains. Although using the computer to construct complex collages and fractal patterns is gratifying, I continue to prefer my hand-crafted work. These leanings also influence my view of AI and its use in creating images. I am not pzrticlulary interested in using words rather than my eyes to create my work.

Contact Info:

• Website: [email protected]
• Instagram: elizabeth.lui
• Other: Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Gill_Lui

Image Credits
All Photos and Art Works by Elizabeth Gill Lui