Elisa Breyer paints daydream-like scenes that contrasts our current and imaginary states of living
The Weimar-based painter talks about being inspired by the sensitive way that her photographer peers look at the world.
Words
You can often look at what is absent in a painting to find out what it’s about. You might not feel this absence because of a misdirection: when you re looking at what I want you to look at, you might not notice what is missing around it. Sometimes, when entire subjects are missing in a portrait, a person’s living environment becomes a stand-in for them. “For me, my biggest inspiration is the insight into the shaped living environment of others. Simple things like golden bracelets on your wrist, a handle to a water glass, a sentence about a certain topic or poetic thoughts put into words,” says Elisa Breyer, a painter based in the quiet town of Weimar. “I often catch myself looking for the portrait beyond the individual. A room can tell so much even w