Alisa Burke

It is the evening of the EcoPalooza eco-fashion event in the burgeoning North Park neighborhood in San Diego, and all kinds of people have come out for the event: Young fashionistas, families, designers and community members fill the building. Displays are spread out throughout the industrial space, which is an architectural firm by day, and each one is innovative in its own right. Although there are plenty of objects in the building that are beautiful and interesting, there is one display that is immensely eye-catching. This display is a trio of hand-painted clutches that appear to be radiating, and not only from the bright lights that shine upon them.

The colors are bold, vibrant and appear to be haphazardly strewn about the stark white canvas. The canvas is folded, formed into a clutch and has amazingly become a wearable work of art. The effect is luminous, brilliant even. It becomes plainly obvious that nothing about this piece of art is haphazard. Rather, it is carefully crafted and entirely innovative. The hand-painted clutches are even more striking with their adornments: beads formed from recycled paper. They are truly distinctive. The delicately painted canvas can be gently stowed under any woman’s arm, and, from the looks of it, will surely garner some stares.

The creator of this fabulous wearable art is Alisa Burke, a painter, mixed media artist and author who lives and works in San Diego. Originally from the Oregon Coast, Burke has been living in San Diego for the last eight years. She studied painting and printmaking at Portland State University, but has begun focusing on combining fashion with art for the last five years.

“It is so easy to think of art as something that is expensive and hangs on the wall,” Burke said. “But I want to challenge people to think beyond something that has four sides.”

Not only does she manage to fuse these two elements together, she also practices sustainability while doing so. The fabrics she uses to create her clutches are hand-painted canvas, fused plastic bags and different kinds of recycled paper. Any adornments on the clutches are made from recycled materials as well, such as the beads that are actually made from scraps of paper that have been hand rolled into circular shapes along with “found” objects.

The result of her hard work is a collection of striking clutches, jewelry and other creative objects that are not only aesthetically pleasing, but also environmentally responsible. Burke cites her college years as providing inspiration for her eco-friendly designs.

 “I think that being a poor art student when I was in college really influenced me to make use of anything I could create with,” Burke said. “When you are on a tight budget, it causes you to make use of anything!” For more information and to purchase her work, visit www.alisaburke.com.

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