Artwork description:

I was always a great admirer of Dutch still life paintings with their almost mystical contemplation on everyday items. By placing the ultimate focus on every detail, these often overlooked commodities rise to the role of symbolic representations of the impermanence and hardship of life. A cherry pit, a decaying piece of fruit, a broken glass or a used-up candle contrast with the lavishness of maybe the earliest consumerist society and remind us of the impending end. Within the unbearable silence of the picture the absence of the human presence lingers. Lemons are peeled, glasses emptied - everything left alone, abandoned but still warm from the human touch.

I wanted to recreate this feeling of absence captured by the old masters in my home studio, using strobe lighting which gave me an amazing control on the direction and quality of the light. Building the right composition proved far more challenging. Instead of a table, I used a reclaimed stepladder which allowed me to play with the rhythm of the lines in the planks, the light and the cloth. The two-week old bouquet was my slowly demising gift to Mariliza after she got a new job. The glass was filled with vibrant quince juice, a gift from my brother in Poland. I added a few hazelnuts from my mother and a pear in the empty space.

New Order is one of my favourite bands of all time but it took Mariliza to point out the 80s flare of my photograph. This romantic portrayal gained a new deconstructed meaning as the contemplation on the seductive “means by which power, corruption and lies infiltrate our lives”. The flourishing postcolonial studies of that decade exposed the brutal violence behind the beautiful relics of colonialism and greed depicted by the late masters of the Dutch Golden Age, forcing us to question the innocence of all artistic representations.

Edition of 25
C-type FujiMatt photographic paper
35x28 cm with no border
Signed and numbered certificate of authenticity

It is possible to order framed photographs or photographs on a foam board for an additional fee.

A different size copy also available. Please contact me and I will make a custom listing for the print.

Materials used:

Print type: C-Type Paper type: Fuji Matt

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