46
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Shell 15 by Seamus A Ryan. The object itself has become the worthy subject of the photograph.Untitled from The Kitchen series, by John
Blakemore. Here the artist has discovered a
more unusual viewpoint to a standard subject.matter – tulips (that, of course, have deep
resonance with 17th century Holland) – and
composition, reference that era.
In the foreground are beautifully reflective
jars; there are props (spectacles to represent
vision, scissors for control, both suggesting
the presence of the artist). In the background
are three framed pictures and a heavy
material, all directly suggestive of an artistic
heritage. Finally, there are allegorical
elements that create subtle undercurrents of
meaning in the image. Some of the flowers
are in full bloom, some are wilting, some have
been cut and have lost their petals, symbolic
of the impermanence and fleetingness of life.
All of this has been chosen and artfully
included in the image. The artist has clearly
thought through every single element of this
photograph – it has been ‘constructed’.T
he found still life – for instance,
Sanderson’s Freesias (see page 48), is
quite a different form of still life. It
has not been ‘constructed’, rather it
has been noticed and then the photographer
has reacted to what he has seen. ‘I first
photographed these freesias from the side, but
didn’t feel that I had created anything special.
I was about to put them away when I looked at
them from above and saw this,’ says Andrew.
Technically, there is overlap with
constructed photographs – composition,
form, lighting are all controlled by the artist.
But there is a difference in terms of seeing.
Blakemore’s image is planned, it needs
prior vision and direction. Sanderson’s is
more serendipitous, relying on the ability torecognise potential for an image based on an
external catalyst. Both focus on detail but,
as in painting, the former requires decisions
about what to put into the image, the latter
about what to leave out.P
erhaps the most common form of
photographic still life is that which
makes the viewer focus on the content- the beauty of a specific object.
These images often take everyday
items and elevate them into objects of
intense contemplation. This reveals quite
astounding beauty, and the skill of the
photographer is to heighten our aesthetic
appreciation through the subtle control of
lighting, composition and design.
Seamus A Ryan’s image of poppy heads
(right) is a lovely example. Soft directional
lighting brings out the form and gently
picks out the hairs on the stem and head
of the plants. Compositionally a strong,
almost human, relationship is suggested.
The taller, stronger poppy bends, seemingly
affectionately, down to touch its head to its
smaller partner. A heart shape. Metaphor for
love and protection.
The artist’s skill here is to say that
this object is worthy of being noticed.
It should be looked at, closely and intently.
It draws our attention to an object that
normally might be skipped over. It forces us
to reassess our perception and by doing so
elevates it to an object of great beauty.‘Th e photographic still life
has clearly moved far beyond
the painting tradition, but itshows us how to see the world
diff erently, through new eyes.’
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