When Photorealism Meets Fashion

Evoking the spirit of freedom, independence, and self-expression embodied by fashion, Bonnin allows viewers to consider the link between the perceived photographic image and the artistic concept of painting. Lingering on photorealism’s modern surfaces and prioritization of the figures’ positioning, Bonnin creates a sense of high drama and high stakes through the use of color, negative space, and a hyper-realistic painting style.

The dynamics of each work rely on composition, Bonnin’s direct, photorealistic style, as well as the familiarity and symbolic implications of the subjects’ outfits, which frequently include designer sunglasses, glossy leathers, and evening dresses. “Fashion fascinates me. As an aesthetic phenomenon I love how beautiful it can be, how daring and bold. I love its sense of urgency, its capacity to constantly change shapes and its ability to recycle itself and come up with something entirely new” says Bonnin.

Opting for a minimalist background, Bonnin places all of the emphasis on the figures, their wardrobes, and their accompanying accessories that fall, twist, and jump as though propelled through the compositional plane. Viewers can approach his work both on an immediate level for its technique, finesse, and fashionable figures; but viewers can also go deeper, and enjoy the complexity and contradictions, the multiple means of entrance that photorealism affords.