Still Life

Still life is a genre of the visual arts which involves the representation of inanimate objects. Historically, still life is referred to in French as ‘nature morte’ or ‘dead nature’. A ‘still life’ art work could be an arrangement of manmade, everyday objects (or together with) natural objects like flowers, stuffed dead animals and food. Objects depicted in early still life paintings were often used as symbols referring to religious ideas about good and bad, and life and death.

Still lifes developed from detailed studies included within the compositions of large scale paintings or frescoes which depicted religious or mythological subject matters. Representations of objects and food were painted in Egyptian tombs in the belief that they would become real for use in the afterlife. The skull was used as a symbol of mortality and earthly remains in Roman times, sometimes accompanied with the words Omnia mors aequat (Death makes all equal). This use of objects to symbolise meanings – particularly as reminders of the transitory nature of life – become associated with still life painting in northern Europe between 1500 and 1600 and is referred to as vanitas. Another word associated with ideas of mortality and the afterlife also symbolised in the image of a skull is Memento mori (Latin - “remember (that you have) to die’). The preoccupation with this message affirms ideas (predominately Christian) of their being an eternal afterlife.

The symbolic use of flowers in still life evolved since early Christian days. For example, the rose symbolises the Virgin Mary, transience; the tulip symbolises showiness, nobility; the sunflower symbolises faithfulness, divine love or devotion. As for insects, the butterfly represents transformation and resurrection; the dragonfly represents transience; and the ant equates to hard work and attention to the harvest.

Artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Albrecht Dürer used watercolour and drawing to study and accurately depict their observations of nature. Devoid of any symbolism or moral narrative, these still life works lay the foundations for the next century’s Western European colonisation policies and the scientific illustrations that documented and classified the findings of unknown flora and fauna.

Contemporary artists have developed and expanded the still life genre using three-dimensions, mixed media, photography, video and sound.

Suggested topics for discussion and research:

Find examples of contemporary artists who have developed or appropriated the still life genre in their work, such as Marian Drew. Consider the different techniques and media that the artist has used. For example:

Three dimensional:

• Ricky Swallow, Damien Hirst (For the love of God, 2007),

• Fiona Hall (Cash Crop, 1998 Paradisus terestris entitled, 1996 and 1999)

Photography:

• Destiny Deacon, Wolfgang Tillmans

Video:

• Sam Taylor Wood (Still Life 2001)

Painting/drawing:

• Fiona Hall (Leaf Litter 1999-2003)