Born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1945, Elsa Stansfield studied photography and film at the Glasgow School of Art and the Ealing School of Art in London. Her collaboration with Madelon Hooykas began in 1972, and they have since produced several films and, in 1975, created their first video-environment. In 1980, she moved to The Netherlands, where she worked as head of the video department at the Jan van Eyck Academy. Her later work included videotapes, video installations, video sculptures and hybrid pieces combining sound and photography. Elsa Stansfield died in November 2004.