I generally find still lifes to be the most appealing photographs. Some of the female photographers I admire, Laura Letinsky and Sharon Core, are champions of the still life. Both of these artists are directly referencing 17th/18th century still life painting in their work: Letinsky replicates the foreshortening and spatial feel of old still life paintings while Core’s latest works are recreations of Raphaelle Peale paintings.
I also enjoy the art of the “accidental still life”. These are images that are seemingly candid shots, usually in someone’s home or of one’s personal effects, but are more than likely arranged just as meticulously as the work of Letinsky and Core. One of the best still life creators of this nature is Wolfgang Tillmans. It is safe to say that any student of photography in the last 10 years is familiar with Tillmans’ work and style (most of us are guilty of replicating his shots as well as his salon style of arranging works). Tillmans not only makes ordinary objects into works of art but also personifies them as well. Magnificent.
Here are some images from these artists whose works are a continuing inspiration to me. All following images are property of the creating artists and are only being used for praise and reference purposes.
Laura Letinsky, From the Hardly More Than Ever series
Laura Letinsky, From the To Say It Isn’t So series
Letinsky’s latest work utilizes disposable products and is fairly monochromatic, a change from her pastel and painterly earlier works.
Sharon Core: Early American, Cut Melon (Raphaelle Peale), 2007
I tried finding one of Peale’s paintings online to see how close Core had matched. The only one I found was the following:
Raphaelle Peale, Still Life with Cake, 1822
Sharon Core: Early American, Still Life with Cake (Raphaelle Peale), 2008
Core doesn’t match the painting exactly, but her photograph adds a haunting amount of depth and clarity to the objects. Astounding.
Wolfgang Tillmans, Stipped, 2003
Tillmans tends to personify clothing in his still lifes, perhaps because they are the outer skin of a person. These skins, or empty shells, always look defeated.
Wolfgang Tillmans, Still Lifes
I love how he can always manage to make things look happenstance even if they are not. And perhaps they really are. Either way, beautiful images abound.
