STILL, LIFE
This selection of images examines language and time through the genre of still life. In English, still life is a group of inanimate (still) objects collected, arranged, and, in this case photographed, by an artist. In French, the term for this genre is nature morte, in Spanish – naturaleza muerta, both referring directly to dead nature. One of the broader uses of still life has been to address the passing of time, resulting in a genre called vanitas.
However, in this work, I detour from traditional vanitas and still life subject matter by creating stills (photographs) of objects from nature as icons. These inanimate subjects are selected for their animate qualities. They may be photographed where they are found, or re-ordered in a studio setting.
The insertion of the comma in the title is also a reference to time. It is a punctuation mark that suggests a pause or interval. The idea here is that of consideration and re-consideration, of the implications of life, still.
