Traditionally, the still life ranked among the lowest of genres in Western art because it did not revolve around the human subject. Still life paintings included formal arrangements of inanimate or dead objects including fruit and vegetables, shells, animals, bottles, vases and so on. These compositions often reflected on the brevity of life or, on the other hand, on abundance in nature. With the rise of Modernism, artists used still life subjects and interior settings as the testing ground for exploring radical new ideas in representation and technique. The works featured here have been produced in the same spirit as their artistic forebears as images that encourage viewers to take a closer look at the inspiring potential of the every day.

Curated by Melanie Cooper