This is a painting by a 17th Century Dutch painter named Willem Claeszoon Heda. This painting features a lot of symbolism in the objects used within the painting and is a clear representation of a ‘Vanitas’ still life painting whihc was incredibly popular in the mid 17th century wiht ‘vanitas’ being Latin for ‘vanity’. It was the only religious art approved in the netherlands.
Willem Claeszoon Heda, has put the white paper in the middle of the painting as our eye is immediately drawn to the brightest part of the painting/photograph. From there, the pipe leads out eye towards the rotten fruit, whereas the glass takes our attention to the skull. What I assume to be an empty candle holder is placed the highest in the painting, therefore it must carry the most amount of meaning. The light is painted as coming from the side, directly shining onto the skull and creating many eerie shadows, reflecting the many death motifs.
Heda incorporates a lot of skulls, which was a key component of a vanitas painting. The skulls were meant to serve as a reminder of ones mortality and came about around 1620 in The Netherlands after 2 outbreaks of bubonic plague. They were meant to serve as a remider of the inevitability of death. The overturned glass in this painting is a symbol of the emptiness of life and the candle holder reminds the viewer that life is eventually snuffed out and we dont live forever. The pipes represent earthly pleaures and the rotting fruit symbolises the futility of trying to live without God and was also another reminder of mortality.
Contemporary still life photography is still a popular genre of art, and advancement in technology has allowed photography to contribute massively to the amount of still-life artwork circulating. More modern takes on still life artwork often raises awareness of current affairs, such as climate change, issues within society, waste and technology, while much of the work still often links back to the original themes of exploring mortality and social structures. With the introduction of a wider range of subjects to chose from, still life artwork has blossomed
Above is a piece created by Pichler. The strawberries rotted in a week and a half, providing a layer of mold over the top of them. The contrast between the colour of the subjects and the black background, coupled with the detail found in the dish, draws maximum attention to the details within the image.
Austrian photographer Klaus Pichler wanted to raise awareness of the issue of food waste around the globe, and the effect we have on the climate, caused by the carbon footprint we leave through shipping goods around the world. His still-life photography project, titled “One Third”, involved rotting food in his bathroom over a period of 9 months, and photographing the decaying items in a way that very closely reflects classic still life artwork.
Pictured is Klaus’ photography TOMATOES. The contrast between the red of the tomato and the black background draws full attention to the subject in the foreground. The addition of the mold of the tomato, and the positioning of the tomatoes in what could be described as a human kidney shape (perhaps signifying the influence of humans on the waste crisis), gives the image a more abstract, interesting look to it, while also allowing the viewer to look more closely at the shape of the subjects.
Pichler’s project was centered around raising awareness about the global issue, that is, wasting food. Klaus became aware of the fact that 1/3 of all of the worlds food, produced for human consumption, goes to waste, while in other areas of the world over 900 million people are starving. Pichler felt personally connected to this project, as he grew up in an area that required him to raise and eat his own meat/produce. In order to reflect this personal attachment to the project, Klaus decided against renting a studio to complete his work, and instead developed the project in his own apartment. Klaus can be quoted as saying, during an interview with National Geographic:
“I was definitely not the first one who was making photographs of rotting food but to make myself credible, I decided not to rent a studio but to make it in my apartment. This was quite a conscious decision. When I am working on a project, I want to really be in the middle of it.”
This quote clearly reflects Pichler’s personal connection to his project, and shows that the meaning behind his work is something that he feels very passionately about. This passion is clearly reflected in the dedication he had to his work, allowing food to rot in his own bathroom for months on end, with the smell of decaying chicken leaving him unable to sleep for nights at a time (according to National Geographic).
Pictured above is the image EGGS, which can be found with the following description accompanying it: Place of production: Kolontar, Hungary Production method: Factory production * Time of production: All- season Transporting distance: 196 km * Means of transportation: Truck Carbon footprint (total) per kg: 5,82kg * Water requirement (total) per kg: 3061 l Price: 1,39 € / kg this caption draws attention to the requirements needed in order to package and transport these eggs, only for them to be wasted.
Klaus also put thought into the caption of his images, using a description of the transportation, place of production and carbon footprint of each of the foods he photographs. This took a large amount of research on Pichler’s part, yet his enthusiasm to raise awareness of the massive waste of resources (and effects on the climate) produced by the production of foods, and then the way these foods are wasted, allowed him to collect the records of all of the foods that he photographed, using the captions to further reflect the food waste crisis of the world.
Pichler’s project falls within the category of still life, as it makes use of arrangements of rotting foods (often including the classic still life food; fruit). Pichler also makes use of silverware and intricate dishes, cups and cutlery, which contrasts the grotesque reality of the decaying food that it holds. This is perhaps a remark towards another aspect of food waste, as first world countries enjoy wealth and the ability to choose to waste food (reflected by the detailed cultery/dishes) whereas third world countries are left to starve. The simplicity in the final image, yet detail within the process and meaning of Klaus’ work, runs parallel with the more classic works of still life, which include elaborate meanings and metaphors, and would have involved the collection and arrangement of many objects and foods.
Klaus Pichler, STRAWBERRIES from the project “One Third”, 2013
Adriaen Coorte, Still Life with Wild Strawberries, 1705
Many similarities can be found between the 2 works found above. The dark background used to contrast and draw attention to the colours in the subject, the use of food (strawberries) as a subject, and the arrangement of the strawberries themselves are all similar, yet the meanings behind the two pieces are vastly different.
Thomas Young (1842) theorised that physiological perception of light was trichromatic, that all perceived colour was produced optically, by the eye's sensitivity to just three wavelengths of light: red, green, and violet. Thomas Young's theories provided the theoretical foundations for the autochrome, which was the first commercially viable method of colour photography.
Autochrome was invented in France by brothers Auguste and Louis Lumière.Autochrome works by autochrome plates being covered in microscopic red, green and blue coloured potato starch grains (about four million per square inch). When the photograph is taken, light passes through these colour filters to the photographic emulsion. The plate is processed to produce a positive transparency. Light, passing through the coloured starch grains, combines to recreate a full colour image of the original subject.
The first autochrome photograph taken in Jersey was called Lumière Autochrome. The photograph contained a vase filled with garden flowers. This presumed to be to enable the camera to explore the variety of colours of the flowers.
Emile Guitons autochrome photos can be viewed as being part of the earlier colour collection. They also fall into two caterogies: still life (flowers, fruit, a colour chart etc) and domestic (country scenes, people, a gerden etc). The still lifes provide an insight into Guiton's experimentation into the autochrome process which would enable him to work and fix his quality and technical skills. The photograph of Mrs Guiton can be viewed as fitting into the pictorialist aesthetic.
Potato starch grains were used for the colour screen of autochrome. The grains were extremely fine, measuring to around 12-15 microns and were dyed green, blueviolet and orange-red. This was to give the plates a more naturalistic look.
During the 17th century Dutch artwork was primarily Vanitas still life. The paintings were to serve as reminder of mortality and the consequence of giving in to vanity. The artwork become popular just after the Dutch Republic had suffered two waves of Plague in the 1620s, this meant that people were now more aware of their own mortality. At this time there was also a strong rivalry between the Catholic and Protestant branches of Christianity, both of which were promoting having a connection to God. This was also something that Vanitas aimed to symbolize by making people realize that their material possessions would not follow them to Heaven and they should not be something to value above religion.
Visual:
In this painting Willem Claesz Heda presents a perfect example of a Vanitas still life. The image shows the skull and possessions of a now dead man arranged out on a table in a clearly disorganized way. Heda would have arranged the items this way intentionally to show the chaos vanity can bring to a man’s life. During the 17th century it would not have been uncommon for people to strive for riches to better themselves and show off their wealth, however consequentially, they would become reckless and consumed by greed and power. Heda also shows off the gold compass by placing it at the head of the table in the light to represent how man can easily be temped by the promise of wealth.
Perhaps the most striking and unusual object in the painting is the skull and bones. This is obviously supposed to represent death, however, it could also be used to create shock factor for the painting’s observer. This would make this image stay with its observer allowing them to really consider the message of the painting and think about their mortality.
A third key symbol in this painting is the snuffed out candle at the back of the table. This, not only shows the age of painting as it clearly indicates that it was sometime before the invention of electricity (1800s), but also symbolizes that life can also been stuffed out.
One of Heda’s other obvious symbols is the empty goblet in the center of the image. The cup represents two things. The first being riches. A goblet would have been an item found at the dinner table of the wealthy to enjoy wine with their food as they were the only people who would have been able to afford such a well crafted item as well as the wine that would have filled it. Wine again represents wealth as the the grapes used to make it would have likely been imported from Spain or France as part of an expensive trade deal. The second important detail about the goblet is that it it empty. This is to show the reality behind the emptiness of life and to represent how our material goods have no value in the after life.
In the background of the painting a hourglass can been seen. This is to represent time running out. It suggests that our time among the living has a time limit that is constantly drawing closer to its end.
Finally, Heda has placed two books under the skull in this painting, one closed book and one open with sheet music written on it. The presence of the book is to represent pride in knowledge. It was common that wealthy men would become scholars and dedicate their time to learning. Being educated would have been sign of status and wealth as only the wealthy would have been able to afford to send their children to school. The sheet music may also represent this, however it more common for music to be used as a symbol for enjoyment, entertainment or perhaps to resemble to life coming to an end and fading away in the same way a song would.
Polish photographer Rafal Milach set out to develop a project that would combine the individuals who lived through the communist era post WW2 (in which Poland was a part of Soviet rule), and the children’s strikes of 1902, in which Catholic school students objected to the Germinization of their education. Milach incorporated objects found in education (specifically maths equipment) with archival images of when Poland was invaded by the Germans, and in doing so emphasized the stark contrast between the childish innocence of simply wanting an education, with the reality that the education system and children were severely affected by the German invasion.
“The initial idea of working with the archive was sustained, but the topic changed as I began looking for material that could occupy two spheres – discipline and pacification, and the sphere of freedom – and to bring these elements together in a series of collages.”
In the above quote, Milach discusses how he was able to bring the 2 contrasting themes of peace (children) and war (occupation).
Milach published his photo-book, The First March of Gentleman, and used bold eye-catching colours (associated with children and children’s artwork) in order to show the contrast between the reality of the archival images, and the concept of the book itself. Milach added a string to the book that had to be physically unwound in order to open it; this added a sense of interactivity to the book, and the string (when wound) can be used to represent bars, caging in the subjects:
The book is bound by string, presenting a metaphor for how the inhabitants of Poland were trapped by the invading forces of the Germans
Milach makes use of space to draw maximum attention to the subjects and concepts in the foreground.
Here, Milach makes a statement by placing children in the foreground, curious towards the boldly coloured pyramids, and German soldiers stand watching over them in the background.
Milach makes use of space in his images, as the bold colours in the background still act as part of the image, drawing attention of the viewer, and the use of space draws maximum attention to the archival images laced between the objects.
I will be taking inspiration from Milach, and will be designing my own photo-montages that will reflect the feelings of confinement and hopelessness that covered Jersey during the occupation, and in general, Europe during WWII.
The autochrome process was invented in France by brothers Auguste and Louis Lumière. The Lumières began a commercial manufacture of autochrome plates in the early 20th century.
Autochrome plates are covered in microscopic red, green an blue coloured potato starch grains. When the photograph is taken, light passes through these colour filters to the photographic emulsion. The plate is processed to produce a positive transparency. Light, passing through the coloured starch grains, combines to recreate a full colour image of the original subject.
Autochrome plates were manufactured at the Lumière factory in Lyon and was a complex industrial process. The transparent starch grains were passed through many sieves to isolate grains. These gains were separated into batches, dyed red, green and violet, mixed together and spread over a glass plate. Next charcoal powder was spread over the plate to fill any gaps between the coloured starch grains. A roller spread the grains and flattened them out. Finally, the plate was coated with a panchromatic photographic emulsion.
Lumière Autochrome is the first colour photograph taken in Jersey in 1904 G. Guiton & E. Guiton. This photograph of a vase containing roughly assembled garden flowers was the starting point for photographers to explore the possibilities of colour.
Emile’s autochromes fall into two categories. The first category are still life photographs such as flowers, stained glass windows, fruit. The second category can be described as domestic photographs such as children playing, a garden, local country scenes.
The still life photographs are an attempt to experiment with the autochrome process, to improve his technical understanding and the quality of his images. Guiton was also making attempts at classical arrangements and compositions.
Ori Gersht goes beyond the thought of Still Life its self, he takes it further by videoing live explosions of plants and fruits. his most famous work was a pomegranate exploding by a bullet, therefore symbolizes the brutality, which has happened throughout history. Ori said “One cannot exist without the other. This circle of existence is comprised of the two. Consider the bloody history of Europe: there was a great aspiration for high culture, yet this very same culture was shaped by brutality and barbarism.” Meaning that his images are showing reality against the unknown in society.
History of Ori Gersht:
Ori was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, in 1967.
In 1992 Ori received a BFA at the University of Westminster, London for his works in film, photography and video.
In 1995, Ori got his MFA in Photography at the Royal College of Arts, London.
Ori explores how technology mediates and transform our perception of nature and history.
Gersht’s work often probes the ways in which landscape can stand witness to tragedy.
Ori Gersht has photographed traumatic events such as Auschwitz, Bosnia, Hiroshima, and Ukraine, and his images present haunting and subdued transformations of these sites of human atrocity.
In the White Noise(1999) he photographed a series of photographs when he was travelling on a train from Krakow to Auschwitz, a process echoing the forced migration of Jews by train during World War II. This therefore alludes to the “blinding’ process of historical amnesia.”
Laura L. Letinsky (born 1962) is a Canadian contemporary photographer, born in Winnipeg, best known for her still life photographs.
From her early photography of people, she shifted to still life photography for which she is now known. Her 1990’s series, Venus Inferred, of couples were informed by representations, visual and other media, about love and how photography is used to convey our ideas about romantic relationships. Her photographs chip away at normative expectations as depicted in mainstream culture. Impetus for her investigation of the still life was its associations with femininity, the minor arts, and its imbrication within the home as the space of intimacy. Letinsky says that still lifes provides her with the potential to explore the false dichotomy between the personal and the political. Vital to this is the selection/orchestration of objects depicted in her images as well as her photograph’s presence as object. Hence scale and surface is important to understanding these photographs. Rather than their being seen on a digital screen, she is invested in the experience of viewing her actual prints. She says that her work “is in part about the relationship between looking at something and other bodily experiences.”
Letinsky’s still lives are described as “Elegant, subdued and gently but relentlessly off-putting, her large-format photographs have an arresting presence that seems out of step with time. At the same time, though, art history suffuses her meticulously constructed scenes as fully as the softened daylight does the sparse interiors she photographs.” Letinsky’s still lives are reminiscent of Dutch still lives, they bring together “freshness, ripeness and decay.”[4] Although they nod to Dutch still lives, they are more modernized, using “Crumbled Coke cups, styrofoam to-go cartons” instead of the upper-class, lush food of the Dutch still lives.
Letinsky’s large scale work becomes purposeful and melancholy, not about the food itself but more of the photography. “Peaches aren’t metaphors for anything; they are simply peaches, peach-shaped, peach-colored.” Her work is all about the line, shapes, and light interacting and how the view is experiencing the work. These fabricated scenes remind viewers of the ability to be real or fake within a photograph. Just as the 17th century northern European painters were not simply painting lemons and goblets, Letinsky’s work speaks to the value of objects, but more, the valuing of their representation with photography conveying much about what and how to see and look.
Guiton was the founder of the Jersey photo archive, and he was also a prominent figure in establishing colour photography in Jersey, through using autochrome plates.
The autochrome process my created by the Lumiere brothers; Auguste and Louis in France. Autochrome plates allowed colour photography to be created. These plates were cover in microscopically small pieces of potato starch. When the light passes through, it mixes with the emulsion to create a full colour copy of the photographed scene. The grains of starch were separated into different groups to be dyed red, green and violet. All the different colored grains were then mixed together and put over a glass plate to finally be coated with varnish. Charcoal powder was then added onto the plate to fill in any gaps left by the colored grains. These plates could be used on regular cameras, no extra equipment was necessary.
When placing the plates in the camera, the plain glass side of the plate had to be facing the lens so that the light could pass through before reaching the emulsion. When using these plates, exposure time had to be slight higher, about thirty times longer than black and white plates. The complex manufacturing process of these plates meant that they were more expensive, which limited it to only certain people.
Autochrome plates were also harder to be able to display, for personal viewing it was possible to just hold them up to the light, however when it came to displaying them for others a stand was used in combination with a mirror, or they could also be projected using a magic lantern.
An environmental portrait is a portrait executed in the subject’s usual environment, such as in their home or workplace, and typically illuminates the subject’s life and surroundings. The term is most frequently used of a genre of photography.
For the Photo shoot I decided to capture my mum and my dog in their natural environment
Information about People im Photographing:
Mum:
Is 65, who does work however at the moment is looking after my dad.
She also has several hobbies which includes knitting, watching movies, reading, watching the TV.
Dog: My dog is a 1 year old doberman
Images:
The images I have selected and discarded
Images I have edited from Photo-shoot:
I have used the before and after view to see if the image looks better in black and white or clour, I have decided to go for black and white. I have edited the highlights, exposure, clarity of the image, so it makes the image clearer. I have edited the black and white tones within the image to create a effect for the surroundings. Final Image 1 – My Mum
Edit 2:
I decided to crop this image so the audience dont get distracted by the other things in the background.I have edited the temperature and tint and the clarity within the image. I have edited the tone curve to increase the highlights, and decrease the shadows, and the light and dark tones.
