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’s most recent projects include a satirical “how-to” 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’s 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 Odd Apples 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 – both literally and metaphorically – across different cultures and locations for centuries.
Pia Kintrup | The horror vacui 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 “make people wonder, look beyond and, above all, appreciate the good things.” The artist’s latest series, Pieze Madre (Mother Piece), is a homage to his mother, Ángeles Isidora Zabalo, who passed away in 2022.
Subscribe to Aesthetica & Save 40% in December. Click here to shop all issues.
Image Credits:
1. Andoni Beristain, Vintage, (2021). Courtesy of the artist.
2. Olivia Locher, How To Make Ice-cream (2015). Courtesy of the artist.
3. Olivia Locher, How To Be Taller (2014). Courtesy of the artist.
4. Jonathan Knowles, from Trajectories. Art Direction: Lauren Catten for Getty Images. Set Design: Kyle Bean. Retoucher: Gareth Pritchard.
5. Pink Pearl (California, USA). From the series Odd Apples. Photographer: William Mullen. Designer: A.A. Trabucco-Campos.
6. Porter’s Perfection (Somerset, England). From the series Odd Apples. Photographer: William Mullen. Designer: A.A. Trabucco-Campos.
7. Pia Kintrup, Gelbe Zwiebelfolie / Yellow Onion Skin from horror vacui.
8. Andoni Beristain, Fruit Tower, (2021). Courtesy of the artist.
9. Andoni Beristain, Banana Móvil, (2021). Courtesy of the artist.
