Still life. It's one of the most accessible genres of art, but an appealing exhibition currently on view at the Everson Museum of Art proves that sometimes there's more to it than what meets the eye. Titled "Still Life: Revisited," the show examines the influence of painting on photography within the realm of still life. The works are drawn largely from the museum's permanent collection, but photographs and paintings by additional artists outside of the collection (including New Woodstock's Daniel K. Tennant) round out the show. There's also a sampling of ceramic works that provide unique approaches to the genre. The show moves largely in chronological order, <a href="http://www.afashionbuy.com/Handbags-Coach-Handbag-f2-39-c3-20.html"><strong>buying cheap coach handbags</strong></a> beginning with still life in its unadulterated forms, such as Severin Roesen's "Still Life with Fruit" (1860-65), "Kitchen Still Life" (19th century) by an unknown painter and Richard LaBarre Goodwin's "Still Life with Ducks" (1886), all of which fall within European and early American still life traditions. But the show progresses from straight-forward paintings of abundant bowls of fruit and dangling specimens of undressed game to Cubist photographs that fracture apples and objects into multiple perspectives or tamper with the traditions of the Dutch Masters. There are also paintings by American impressionist Jonas Lie ("The Black Teapot," 1911), American modernist Milton Avery ("Objects," 1949) and contemporary American still life painter Janet Fish ("Sewing," 2000) to show the ways in which contemporary painters have continued to work with the genre. The most interesting pieces are the photographs that in some way make reference to the history of still life painting. Sharon Core's stunning color photos from her "Early American" series titled "Still Life with Steak and Asparagus" (2008) and "Apples in a Porcelain Basket" (2007) find inspiration in the still lifes by early-American painter Raphaelle Peale (1774-1825). Considered one of the finest artists of his generation, he was a master of the still life <a href="http://www.afashionbuy.com/Handbags-Juicy-Handbag-f2-39-c3-17.html"><strong>Juicy Couture Outlet </strong></a> genre and Core mimics Peale's trompe l'oeil affects with a mastery of her own. Additional photographers of note inspired by the history of still life include: D.W. Mellor's striking black and white photograph titled "Erla's Linen" (2004, printed 2008) and Paulette Tavormina's stunning color photo titled "Crabs and Lemon after P.C" (2008) from her "Natura Morta" series. These pieces share objects and imagery typical of 17th century Dutch still life painting -- a lemon with a spiral of peel dangling over the table's edge, elegant glassware reflecting elements of the room and sumptuous linens. A sign under Tavormina's piece speaks to the vivid realism of her image and states in bold black letters: Please do not touch. These are examples of contemporary artists looking back through the centuries for sources of inspiration <a href="http://www.afashionbuy.com/Handbags-Juicy-Handbag-f2-39-c3-17.html"><strong>cheap juicy couture handbags</strong></a> culled from still life traditions, which they reinterpret through fresh eyes and their own choice of media. Tennant, a Syracuse-area artist, used the camera as a tool to tweak his gouache still life compositions and capture fleeting moments that reappear in his paintings. In his piece titled "Things Worth Keeping" (2009), he skillfully plays with shadows falling on hard and soft surfaces and reflections dancing on the sides of glass bottles. Tennant <a href="http://lnx.u2place.net/u2foto/displayimage.php?album=random&cat=0&pos=-1426"><strong>Armani Sunglasses discount - place for blog - 博客大巴</strong></a> uses photography as a means to an end, with his ultimate goal being still lifes rendered in gouache and bathed in trompe l'oeil effects. This was an engaging exhibition and the connections made between contemporary photographers and the traditions of the still life genre were clear. However, the consistent references to 17th century Dutch still life would have carried more weight for some viewers had there been an example -- a book, or reproduction -- on the wall label of some of those works. Same goes for Tavormina's reinterpretation of Peale's work ... an example of his work would have gone a long way to enhance the appreciation of hers. Katherine Rushworth, of Cazenovia, is a former director of the Michael C. Rockefeller Arts Center (State University College at Fredonia) and of the Central New York Institute for the Arts in Education. Reach her at
features@syracuse.com.
'Still Life: Revisited' at Everson examines influence of painting ...
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