12.04.11

Elisa Johns

Illustrated Painting

What I love about Elisa John is how she blurs the lines between illustration and painting. Her images stumble upon fashion rather than being intentionally drawn in that frame. From the Bright Young Things of the 1920's, whose Josephine Baker style wouldn't be out of place on the Prada runway to Valentino channeling gowns; fashion unknowingly becomes an explicit element of Elisa's work.

Her pictures have an ethereal quality, something the predominately chiffon clothing choice reiterates. The colours merge and mix until they become a blur and you forget where one began and finished. Her images whip you into a whirlwind as you are lured into the characters worlds before you descend into a tailspin. And while visiting their land you learn there lies a malevolent undertone, as darkness lurks.

Images courtesy of Elisa Johns.

Posted by Susan Walsh

Tags: Elisa Johns Fashion156.com Fashion Illustration