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Interview

Elisa Seitzinger

‘My hope is that things will get better for small and medium-sized enterprises, that represent, in many sectors, the driving force and excellence of the Italian economy’. That’s Elisa Seitzinger’s dream. Elisa is a talented illustrator, who embarked on a creative journey with her grandmother’s surname, Seitzinger. Elisa is a complete artist, who chooses lines and primary colours as her main tools of expression. If you want to know more, just keep on reading!

What was your first experience with art? How did you develop your creativity?

I’ve always drawn and, more generally, loved art. In Italy, you can breath it everywhere and, besides striking me visually, it’s always interested me, as a language and form of expression. For this reason, after finishing classical studies, I decided to study illustration at IED, where I now teach, and history of art at university. Then, I started using my drawings for business purposes, but only later I understood how to combine this together with the artistic side, harmonizing them.

Elisa Seitzinger

The use of primary colours was born from the necessity to set limits and, at the same time, get the maximum contrast possible, using timeless colours and playing tetris with them.

What was the moment you realized that you wanted to pursue a career in the art field?

Four years ago, after a trip to Sicily, I decided that I was no longer drawing just for work, but also to express my own personality. I took an authorial path with my grandmother’s surname, Seitzinger. I was very close to my grandma, who had an unpronounceable and, at the same time, fascinating surname.

In 2019, for an artist or, more specifically, an illustrator, what are the ingredients to gain success and recognition?

I don’t have a recipe. What I know for sure is that having talent is just the starting point, talent alone is not enough. You have to work a lot (and, if you can, relax and have fun, not to blow up), find your sources of inspiration and be able to use them. It’s then necessary to have a method and communicate with the world. As to the last point, I want to say that social networks help, but offline relationships are useful too and have to be nurtured. The hardest thing is succeeding in finding time for research and personal projects. To do so, we always have to remember that we don’t do this work just for a financial gain. Sometimes it’s difficult to carve out time, but it has to be done.

Going back to your work, what are the main sources of inspiration?

I mostly draw inspiration from stylistic codes, not single artists. For example, my attention is caught by medieval art (both sacred and courtly), the windows of the gothic cathedrals and the illuminated codex, the painting of the Italian primitives and Flemish school, the Russian icons and Byzantine mosaics, the esoteric iconography, the tarots and ex voto. Also classical art and the art from the 20s and 30s. Contemporary art interests me, but in order to feel inspired I have to look at the past.

How would you define the use of colour in your artworks?

To tell you the truth, I’m much more ‘obsessed’ with lines, rather than colours. For me, colour is very important, but it’s more of an accessory than anything else: it’s essential to the success of an illustration, but it’s still an accessory. After all, I draw, and I don’t paint. The use of primary colours was born from the necessity to set limits and, at the same time, get the maximum contrast possible, using timeless colours and playing tetris with them. The tarots and Bauhaus share the same colour palette, and I trust them. Lately, I’ve been opening myself from a chromatic point of view. I introduced new ingredients, creating ad hoc palettes, that work well in my projects and with the identity of my clients.

You recently illustrated the cover of Jonathan Bazzi’s first novel, ‘Febbre’ (Fandando Libri). Would you tell us more about this project?

He’s the one who found me. Apparently, Jonathan had a poster I had made hanging in his room and, a few years ago, he got in touch with me, because he wanted to get a tattoo of my reinterpretation of ‘Santa Lucia’ by Francesco del Cossa, the hand with eyes. He found it very intimate and, when I read the book, I understood the reason why he wanted it so badly. By the way, Fandango agreed. Those eyes are Jonathan. In order to understand it, you should read the book. I recommend it, it’s very nice. Here’s what Jonathan himself said about ‘Febbre’ and its cover: “It represents an offer, the living offer of a look, of a point of view. Here’s how things went or, more precisely – how my boyfriend made me notice – here’s how they appeared to me. Febbre is the offering of a point of view. A reportage back in time, in what we’re taught it’s better not to say”.

Among the projects you’ve worked on, what’s the artwork you’re mostly attached to?

In my opinion, the major arcana I drew for Sabat Magazine represent, from a formal point of view, the most beautiful work among the ones I’ve done so far. The ‘Minor Arcana’ project is, on the contrary, more interesting on the level of the contents. A personal project that allowed me to win the ‘Premio Illustri 2018’ in the ‘Design’ category.

That being said, you customized the packaging of the Alqvimia fragrances ‘Sensuality Esprit de Parfum’ and ‘Seductive Man Esprit de Parfum’. How would you describe the illustrations realized for this Spanish brand?

A reinterpretation of ‘The Kiss’ by Klimt, in an ‘alchemical marriage’ version: elegant, sensual, romantic and in harmony with the values of the brand. Definitely, a successful packaging.

Lastly, you collaborated with Lomography, hand painting a ‘Sardina DIY’ camera. What do you still remember from this particular experience?

Being able to customize such an object was fun. A nice Christmas holidays pastime.

What’s the field you’d like to have the chance to work with and establish a collaboration?

High fashion and design. By the way, I’m working on a picture book with my partner, we’d like to propose this project to a few publishing houses that are unconventional. To tell the truth, it’s still at an embryonic stage, but it will be a story, with a metaphysical atmosphere, about the concept of ‘time’ as space.

Work-wise, do you have regrets? Where and, overall, how do you see yourself in five years?

I regret not having started doing what I’m doing now earlier on. In five years? I see myself exactly as I’m now, but with more projects behind me…as interesting as possible, I hope!

And a dream for the future of the Italian creative scene?

My hope is that things will get better for small and medium-sized enterprises, that represent, in many sectors, the driving force and excellence of the Italian economy. If they don’t work, creativity dies.

What I know for sure is that having talent is just the starting point, talent alone is not enough. You have to work a lot (and, if you can, relax and have fun, not to blow up), find your sources of inspiration and be able to use them.