Cut flowers. Fruit. Vegetables. Household items. Still life photography captures all kinds of man-made and natural objects, documenting carefully arranged paraphernalia of everyday life. According to Tate, the genre: “can be a celebration of material pleasures such a food and wine, or often a warning of the ephemerality of these pleasures and the brevity of human life.” These five photographers take still life in new and unexpected directions. These five photographers take still life in new and unexpected directions. They turn tradition on its head, revealing the absurdity and occasional hilarity of modern society.
Olivia Locher | Olivia Locher鈥檚 most recent projects include a satirical 鈥渉ow-to鈥 series for the 21st century: how to measure up, how to be taller, how to walk on water. In these creative studio shots, Locher considers humanity鈥檚 unrealistic desires and aspirations, and presents them to comedic effect. Candles are lit from both ends, cream is poured over ice, jean shorts are stained with melting sprinkles.
Jonathan Knowles | The award-winning advertising photographer presents mundane tasks accomplished with inventive arrangements of candles, wheels and seesaws. Saturated blue dustpans, green cages and pink wafers pop against pastel backdrops. At a time when technology is becoming increasingly autonomous, the pictures ask: what is the place of analogue machines in a digital world?
William Mullen | The聽Odd Apples聽series contains 90 still lifes, representing four years and three seasons of researching, reading, finding, tasting and photographing. In these surreal, and sometimes farcical images, Mullan offer hyper-stylised aesthetics, focusing on the fruit that has symbolised knowledge and power 鈥 both literally and metaphorically 鈥 across different cultures and locations for centuries.
Pia Kintrup | The聽horror vacui聽series comprises still life photographs in a state of dissolution. Each composition pairs organic and non-organic items, including leftover packaging from boiled sweets, onion skins, cardboard boxes, coconut shells, egg cartons, plastic bags and pistachio shells. The images are at once melancholy and indulgent, resting in the moments after purchasing, unwrapping and consuming.
Andoni Beristain | Andoni Beristain is fascinated with shape, colour and observing the world. He combines big-scale outdoor still life and curated studio photographs, with a goal to 鈥渕ake people wonder, look beyond and, above all, appreciate the good things.” The artist’s latest series,聽Pieze Madre (Mother Piece),聽is a homage to his mother, 脕ngeles Isidora Zabalo, who passed away in 2022.
Image Credits:
1. Andoni Beristain,聽痴颈苍迟补驳别,听(2021). Courtesy of the artist.
2. Olivia Locher,聽How To Make Ice-cream聽(2015). Courtesy of the artist.
3. Olivia Locher,聽How To Be Taller聽(2014). Courtesy of the artist.
4. Jonathan Knowles, 蹿谤辞尘听Trajectories. Art Direction: Lauren Catten for Getty Images. Set Design: Kyle Bean. Retoucher: Gareth Pritchard.
5. Pink Pearl (California, USA).聽From the series聽Odd Apples.聽Photographer: William Mullen. Designer: A.A. Trabucco-Campos.
6. Porter鈥檚 Perfection (Somerset, England).聽From the series聽Odd Apples.聽Photographer: William Mullen. Designer: A.A. Trabucco-Campos.
7. Pia Kintrup,聽Gelbe Zwiebelfolie / Yellow Onion Skin聽蹿谤辞尘听horror vacui.
8. Andoni Beristain,聽Fruit Tower,聽(2021). Courtesy of the artist.
9. Andoni Beristain,聽Banana M贸vil, (2021). Courtesy of the artist.
