PHOTO 2, PROJECT 2 STILL LIFE SERIES

WHAT IS A STILL LIFE? A STILL LIFE IS A PAINTING, DRAWING, OR PHOTOGRAPH FEATURING AN ARRANGEMENT OF INANIMATE, EVERYDAY OBJECTS, WHETHER NATURAL OBJECTS (FLOWERS, FOOD, BEVERAGES, ETC.) OR MANUFACTURED ITEMS (BOOKS, BOTTLES, CROCKERY, ETC.).

SYMBOLISM THE USE OF SYMBOLS TO REPRESENT IDEAS OR QUALITIES.

SYMBOLISM & STILL LIFE ART

VANITAS In the arts, vanitas (meaning vanity) is a type of symbolic work of art especially associated with still life painting in Flanders and the Netherlands in the 16th and 17th centuries, though also common in other places and periods.

MORE ON VANITAS VANITAS ART IS A FASCINATING GENRE WHICH FEATURES OBJECTS RICH IN SYMBOLISM SUCH AS SKULLS, ROTTING FOOD, AND FADING FLOWERS IN ORDER TO PRODUCE IN THE VIEWER'S MIND AN ACUTE AWARENESS OF THE BREVITY OF LIFE AND THE INEVITABILITY OF DEATH. THE ORIGINS OF THE TERM DATE BACK TO THE LATIN BIBLICAL APHORISM.

IT FLOURISHED PRIMARILY IN FLANDERS, THE NETHERLANDS AND, TO SOME EXTENT, IN FRANCE. THOUGH IT LOST MUCH OF ITS POPULARITY AROUND 1650, ITS INFLUENCE REMAINS CLEARLY VISIBLE IN MANY MODERN WORKS OF ART, SUCH AS PAUL CEZANNE'S PYRAMID OF SKULLS AND PABLO PICASSO'S STILL LIFE WITH SKULL. VANITAS PAINTINGS OF THE BAROQUE PERIOD AND THE GOLDEN AGE OF DUTCH ART USUALLY CONTAIN ELABORATE PICTORIAL MESSAGES WITH MORAL UNDERTONES THAT URGE THE VIEWER TO RELINQUISH EARTHLY PLEASURES AND PURSUE A MEANINGFUL SPIRITUAL LIFE.

HOWEVER, WITH THE PASSAGE OF TIME, THE GENRE HAS EVOLVED CONSIDERABLY AND HAS SHED MUCH OF ITS RELIGIOSITY. SOME VANITAS PIECES COULD BE UNDERSTOOD AS AN EXHORTATION TO SEIZE THE DAY AND TO DRINK, EAT, AND BE MERRY FOR TOMORROW WE MAY DIE. OTHERS ENDORSE A NIHILISTIC VISION OF THE WORLD THAT STRESSES THE UTTER FUTILITY OF EXISTENCE AND THE ABSURDITY OF ALL HUMAN ENDEAVORS.

Skull: Death, this is a clear memento mori message or the transience of life, a universally recognized symbol of death. Watch or hourglass: time is limited and is passing, therefore, use it wisely. Books: Human knowledge and its temporary nature. Artist’s instruments e.g. Palette, brushes, easel: Indulgence in the arts, very few could afford to be painters let alone patronize the arts. meaning-of-objects-used-in.html Vanitas Symbolic Imagery Examples

Shell: they were normally exotic ones not commonly available in the Netherlands. They were a symbol of the vanity that comes with wealth, as these were exotic items at the time, only a very wealthy person would have one of those. Insects, decaying flowers: transience of life. They were inserted in paintings depicting expensive objects as a reminder that life is temporary and moral considerations deserved more attention than material things. Broken or tipped over glassware: transience of life or life is fleeting. Musical instruments: indulgence of the senses as a luxury. Sometimes they are present as artistic inspiration, as music would inspire artists. Silk or velvet tablecloths: vanity, as these were expensive things. Silk being the ultimate fabric material and purple the most expensive dye, hence the Roman emperors wore purple tunics. meaning-of-objects-used-in.html

ORIENTAL RUGS OR CARPETS: THESE WERE PROHIBITIVELY EXPENSIVE ITEMS, CARPETS WERE PLACED ON TABLES TO AVOID STEPPING ON THEM AND CAUSING DECAY IN THEIR COLORS OR INTEGRITY. THEY WERE A SYMBOL OF WEALTH BUT ALSO A SIGN OF PRIDE AS THEY WERE ITEMS BROUGHT INTO THE UNITED PROVINCES THROUGH TRADE AND COMMERCE.ORIENTAL RUGS OR CARPETS: THESE WERE PROHIBITIVELY EXPENSIVE ITEMS, CARPETS WERE PLACED ON TABLES TO AVOID STEPPING ON THEM AND CAUSING DECAY IN THEIR COLORS OR INTEGRITY. THEY WERE A SYMBOL OF WEALTH BUT ALSO A SIGN OF PRIDE AS THEY WERE ITEMS BROUGHT INTO THE UNITED PROVINCES THROUGH TRADE AND COMMERCE. JEWELRY, CLOTHES OR MIRRORS: REMEMBER THE TEMPORARY NATURE OF BEAUTY, WEALTH AND WISDOM. EARTHLY RICHES ARE TEMPORARY AND THEREFORE LIFE SHOULD BE CARRIED OUT ACCORDING TO THE MODESTY TRADITIONS THAT WERE IN PLACE AT THE TIME.JEWELRY, CLOTHES OR MIRRORS: REMEMBER THE TEMPORARY NATURE OF BEAUTY, WEALTH AND WISDOM. EARTHLY RICHES ARE TEMPORARY AND THEREFORE LIFE SHOULD BE CARRIED OUT ACCORDING TO THE MODESTY TRADITIONS THAT WERE IN PLACE AT THE TIME. MIRROR: A CLEAR SYMBOL OF THE VANITY THAT SHOULD BE AVOIDED.MIRROR: A CLEAR SYMBOL OF THE VANITY THAT SHOULD BE AVOIDED. JARS: STONEWARE OR PORCELAIN WERE USED FOR WATER OR OIL, BOTH SUBSTANCE SUSTAIN LIFE AT THE TIME.JARS: STONEWARE OR PORCELAIN WERE USED FOR WATER OR OIL, BOTH SUBSTANCE SUSTAIN LIFE AT THE TIME.

WHAT DOES THIS WORK SYMBOLIZE? Philippe de Champaigne's Vanitas (c. 1671) is reduced to three essentials: Life, Death, and Time

Adam Bernaert - "Vanitas" Still Life

HEEM, Cornelis de (b. 1631, Leiden, d. 1695, Antwerpen)

Vanitas Still Life, c.1620/30 by Jan Lievens

Willem Claesz, Still Life, 1634, 45 x 62 cm. In the Rijksmuseum

Coorte, Three Peaches on a Stone Ledge with a Painted Lady Butterfly, mid 1690s

Coorte, Still Life with Shells, 1697, 17 × 22 cm. In Maastricht

Coorte, Still Life with Butterfly, Apricots, Cherries and a Chestnut, 1685, 41 x 35cm.

ASSIGNMENT #2 SELECT A SOCIAL ISSUE THAT IS RELEVANT TO TODAY’S SOCIETY. SELECT A SOCIAL ISSUE THAT IS RELEVANT TO TODAY’S SOCIETY. CREATE A STILL LIFE USING SYMBOLIC OBJECTS RELATED TO THAT ISSUE AND PHOTOGRAPH IT IN THE CLASSROOM USING THE “STUDIO.” CREATE A STILL LIFE USING SYMBOLIC OBJECTS RELATED TO THAT ISSUE AND PHOTOGRAPH IT IN THE CLASSROOM USING THE “STUDIO.”

SETUP FOR THE PROJECT CHOOSE A SOCIAL ISSUE THAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU CHOOSE A SOCIAL ISSUE THAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU RESEARCH AND WRITE ABOUT BOTH SIDES OF THE SOCIAL ISSUE AND CHOOSE A STANCE (NO WIKIPEDIA- USE RELIABLE SCHOLARLY SOURCES ONLY) RESEARCH AND WRITE ABOUT BOTH SIDES OF THE SOCIAL ISSUE AND CHOOSE A STANCE (NO WIKIPEDIA- USE RELIABLE SCHOLARLY SOURCES ONLY) WRITE DOWN AND EXPLAIN OBJECTS THAT WILL BE USED AS SYMBOLIC IMAGERY WRITE DOWN AND EXPLAIN OBJECTS THAT WILL BE USED AS SYMBOLIC IMAGERY SKETCH OUT COMPOSITION IDEAS- MINIMUM- 10 SKETCHES SKETCH OUT COMPOSITION IDEAS- MINIMUM- 10 SKETCHES SKETCHES DUE FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24 SKETCHES DUE FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24

DUE DATE OCTOBER 31 ST OCTOBER 31 ST WHAT’S DUE? THREE IMAGES- WITH THREE DIFFERENT ANGLES, SHOWING LIGHTING EXPERIMENTING, AND USE COMPOSITION TECHNIQUES (RULE OF THIRDS, RULE OF SIMPLICITY, LEADING LINES, TEXTURE, ETC.) WHAT’S DUE? THREE IMAGES- WITH THREE DIFFERENT ANGLES, SHOWING LIGHTING EXPERIMENTING, AND USE COMPOSITION TECHNIQUES (RULE OF THIRDS, RULE OF SIMPLICITY, LEADING LINES, TEXTURE, ETC.)

INSPIRING STILL LIFE PHOTOGRAPHY

Martin Zalba

Anatoly Che's

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