Modern still life photographs benefit above all from the teaching of still life painting, which flourished in the 17th century. Still life has been used as a motif for centuries and is now being reinterpreted. Above all, the design direction is interesting, which adopts the compositional bases and the optical structure of the classic still lifes and refreshes them with modern elements. This modern direction mostly has a humorous, sarcastic or even socially critical character.
Examples for modern still life photography
Blow up – Ori Gersht
The photograph shows the moment when a bouquet of flowers explodes. The composition is based on a classic example by Henri Fantin-Latour. The technical development of photography enables the artist to capture a 6000th fraction of a second. The intensity of the explosion is deliberately emphasized in this work as a contrast to the calm, classic still life painting. According to Gersht, the message of impermanence should remain.
Natura Morte 2 – Cindy Wright
The work of the artist Cindy Wright has a consumer-critical aftertaste. In the past, dead animals were often used as a motif in still life in classic paintings. However, in our modern times, the artist would like to draw attention to the fact that meat and fish are considered food, but pay a high price for it, as the death of a living being is claimed. This moral responsibility is illustrated by the portrait with the gutted fish in an ornate fishbowl.
Broken Things – Livia Marin
This work is also about removing everyday objects from the ordinary image. In this way one raises the value of the object to something special, as it is intended in the whole ideology of a still life. With this depiction of the broken and then healed cup, the artist demands more attention for the works that are connected and created with life.
One third – Klaus Pichler
The series of photographs by Klaus Pichler criticizes the wear and tear of food, which, according to a UN study, amounts to around a third of the food produced. The arranged motifs, which show moldy food, should also draw attention to the transport, production and resources used for the food.
Quellen:
