PATTERN ON PATTERN: THE PHOTOGRAPHS OF CECELIA PAREDES WON'T BLEND IN

 The work of Peruvian artist Cecilia Paredes is part trompe l'oeil, part performance art. As you can see, she is certainly not a wallflower, or a shrinking violet. By becoming one with her backgrounds, she disappears into her subject matter. By hiding in plain sight using her body as her canvas, her work has an air of intrigue. Using body paint to camouflage and painstakingly transform herself to fit in with her floral wallpaper backgrounds, her Landscape Series examines themes of femininity, being noticed and the idea of transformation. Choosing to engage with her viewer in some of the portraits, Paredes' eyes stare out from her work with a haunting gaze. In other shots, she is only recognizable by her dark hair-- everything else blends in. By pairing herself with classic chintz, floral and tropical interior prints, her "photoperformance" work would be a wonderful foil to a traditional or modern setting. The Philadelphia-based artist's work can be found at The J. Johnson Gallery.

Photos courtesy of Cecilia Paredes

Asia, features Clarence House's cherry blossom patterned wallpaper

Both Worlds features Paredes in a full frontal gaze. She has nowhere to hide, as her shock of dark hair reveals her human form.

Blue Landscape with  potted tropical plants on a pale blue ground

In Bed of Roses, Paredes sleeps wrapped up in a yellow floral print with the same background

Dreaming Rose shows her sleeping on a fabric strewn surface with her arms camouflaged in blooms

Stretched out with her head down, Rythmic Garland takes a lot of body paint

In Tuttu Frutti she wears a pleated skirt with painted legs