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