The rabbit-hole went straight on like a tunnel for some way, and then dipped suddenly down, so suddenly that Alice had not a moment to think about stopping herself before she found herself falling down a very deep well. – Quote from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carrol.
Emon Toufanian is an artist whose primary mediums are photography and collage. Working in the music industry before, discovering his talents as an artist was a happy accident, and now sees him producing fashion editorials and beautifully trippy collages. His images look as if he has taken inspiration from the imagination of Lewis Carrol and glitch aesthetics, creating his own morphed wonderlands.
The images he uses for his collages look as if they are melting into one another, while others are torn and overlaid on to others. “I prefer art that’s visceral and lets you decide your own meaning. I try just to create an atmosphere that allows viewers to better understand their desires, pain, dreams, whatever,” Toufanian mentions in an interview with Metal Magazine. This is combined with his ability to make the subjects in both his collages and photography carry a feeling of vulnerability and fierce engagement with viewers. The intention of this is to allow the viewer to construct their own interpretations of his work, and assist them in unpacking their own feelings.
“Collage is ritualistic to me; I need to be alone and with music. I look for a moment of transcendence when a character or story reveals itself, driven by whatever record is on. Editorial is collaborative so the challenge is finding a compromise between my vision and the reality of what’s possible on set.”
Working between New York and Paris, he places fragments of these cities in his work. He has been recognised by publications such as Dazed, PUSS PUSS, Vogue Italia and Document Journal among others, with his work being used for covers.
Fall down a very deep well and go on a visual adventure by visiting Toufanian’s website to view more of his work.
