Painter and Illustrator Carly Ellefsen On Her Favorite Information Designer, Honor and Death, The Cost Of Minimalism, And Her Pandemic Dog, Bumi.

Jun 11

Jun 11 Painter and Illustrator Carly Ellefsen On Her Favorite Information Designer, Honor and Death, The Cost Of Minimalism, And Her Pandemic Dog, Bumi.

Who is the one person, living or dead, in your profession who you most admire?

I am filtering this to living, because otherwise I'd never decide. The first person to come to mind was Giorgia Lupi. She is an information designer that expertly connects the viewer to what data is actually about, making it more consumable, persuasive, and human. Her work is not only aesthetically beautiful, but it is more accessible than a lot of contemporary art. Anyone can look at her work and not only relate, but easily get her message.

What have you seen lately that’s been inspiring?

I adore the book What to Do When I'm Gone: A Mother's Wisdom to Her Daughter illustrated by one of my favorite illustrators, Hallie Bates. It's the classic macabre marriage of humor and death, but about the often-ignored adult relationship between mother and daughter. It is simple but witty; it is so effortlessly done, you think, "Why didn't I think of that?!"

What would you do (or pursue) if money were no object?

I would get my MFA in illustration. I'm not sure it would completely obliterate my imposter syndrome, but I'm sure it would help. I say this, but I'm only 28 and my direction has changed nearly annually, which is one of my biggest weaknesses. A strong case for me to stay away from graduate school.

What are you excited about now?

I'm excited about the turn of trends away from minimalism. I've watched many brands distill themselves into same-ness with sans serif and the absence of substance or risk. Minimalism has its place, but en masse, it is boring at best.

There's a joke that minimalism is another product wealthy people can buy, and as a new homeowner, I can relate. Minimalism comes at a cost. You will find me with thrifted side tables and an inherited bedframe from my Aunt's old neighbor.

The exit of minimalism affects most areas of interest for me. In painting, design, and illustration. Minimalism has no room for vulnerability, varied life experiences, and the weird.

Do you have a pet?

I have a dog, Bumi. Like others who started making sourdough, my COVID cliche was adopting a dog. I named him after my favorite character in Avatar: The Last Airbender. I watched it as a kid and reveled in its Netflix resurgence. I highly recommend it, children and adults alike.

Carly Ellefsen is a remarkable painter and illustrator whose work you can find here. Professionally, she has the evolving, versatile skill set demanded by our presumptively digital, increasingly agile world—a designer who writes, a marketer who taught me much of what I know about social media strategy.