still life is a painting or drawing of an arrangement of objects, typically including fruit and flowers and objects contrasting with these in texture, such as bowls and glassware.
There are multiple different types of still life which are: Flowers which symbolises life and growth, Banquet or Fruit which can symbolise religion e.g. Adam and Eve, Animals or skulls which symbolises mortality and other symbolic items
Still life started in the 17th century when paintings of objects developed a great popularity in Europe. The momentum for this term came as artists created compositions with greater complexity, whilst bringing together a wider variety of objects to communicate symbolic meanings.
Vanitas is A still life artwork which includes various symbolic objects designed to remind the viewer of their mortality and of the worthlessness of worldly goods and pleasures.
The term “vanitas” originally comes from the opening lines of the Book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible: ‘Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities, all is vanity.’
Vanitas are closely related to still life which is artworks that remind the viewer of the shortness and fragility of life and include symbols such as skulls and extinguished candles. However vanitas still life’s also include other symbols such as musical instruments, wine and books to remind us explicitly of the worldly pleasures and goods.
(memento mori is a Latin phrase meaning ‘remember you must die’)
Memento mori is Latin for ‘remember that you must die’. This is an artistic symbol and has appeared in funerary art and architecture from the medieval period onwards.
The most common motif of this is a skull, often accompanied by multiple bones, coffins, an hourglass and flowers to symbolise the impermanence of human life.
Adobe Lightroom is a creative image organization and image manipulation software developed by Adobe Inc. Lightroom helps you import, organize, manage, and find your images. Lightroom is also a photo management and photo editor, combined into a single tool.
Using the X and P keys – I selected which images I wanted and didn’t want to keep.Then filtering the unwanted rejects out to leave me with only the images I want.I then put two similar images on a split screen to compare.Using a star rating system I decided which images were definitely going to be used (4 star), not sure yet (3 star) and not going to use (2 starts)To look at the images in more detail i zoomed in (using the magnifying glass) to get a closer look at certain aspectsAgain I used the filter to remove the images i had given less than 3 starsfiltering again this time red-keep yellow-rejectthen i put the RED images into develop from library to start editing the images. This image shows me adjusting the image and changing aspects such as the exposure, contrast, highlights etc.This image shows a snapshot of comparing the before and after of editing one of my images – Showing the progression of the photos.This shows me exporting my edited image and editing the image sizing.
The term still life refers to a work of art that presents inanimate objects from the natural or man-made world, such as fruit, flowers, and/or objects such as baskets or bowls.
TIMELINE
Still life started in the 17th century when paintings of objects became popular throughout Europe. Artists would arrange and paint the objects in a way that was visually appealing
Still-life photography’s started in the early 20th century. Art photographers emerged such as Baron Adolf de Meyer.
This image is one of his many still life pieces of flowers
VANITAS
DEFINITION: a still-life painting of a 17th-century Dutch genre containing symbols of death or change as a reminder of their inevitability.
A vanitas painting contains objects that are meant to symbolise the inevitability of death to show the ways in which objects, achievements and pleasures are transient and vain. it exhorts the viewer to consider mortality and to repent.
Although some vanitas pictures include figures, the majority are pure still lifes.
MOMENTO MORI
DEFINITION: an object kept as a reminder of the inevitability of death, such as a skull.
The Latin phrase memento mori literally means, “Remember that you must die.”
The vanitas and memento mori picture became popular in the seventeenth century, almost everyone believed that life on earth was merely a preparation for an afterlife. However, modern artists have continued to explore this genre.
SYMBOLS AND MEANINGS
still life can be interpretted in many different ways
some of the common symbols are:
fruit- can symbolise religion such as the apple from the story of Adam and Eve.
1822 is when photography was invented. However it was only in 1826 when Joseph Nicéphore Niépce took the first photo even though it got lost it still holds the title for the oldest photo.
Joseph Nicéphore – FIRST PHOTOGRAPH WAS TAKEN
Photography is the art of light, it is how the use of light can form an image. It can be taken digitally with a sensor or chemically – which would be developed in a darkroom.
Darkroom – where photographs are developed chemically
Light photography
In 1844 Henry William Fox Talbot published the first instalment of The pencil of Nature, he wrote short texts to accompany his pictures. At first glance the arrangement seemed straightforward as if he was trying to tell a story to the audience however he has grasped that photographs are complicated.
Henry William Fox Talbot – The Pencil of Nature
“Photographs confuse as much as fascinate, conceal as much as much as reveal, distract as much as compel. They are unpredictable communicators”
Photography has hugely developed and has become mobile, which means you can take photos at any time and get your photograph instantly. Each different photograph can have a different meaning and concept, people can also interpret photographs in their own way. Each person can view the same photograph but perhaps have a different meaning.
Photography is unpredictable, and each photo can represent different things. With photography you will never know the outcome until you take it. Lighting, mise-en-scene, colour are elements can affect how a photograph is represented; if the lighting is dark it could connote darkness however are brighter photograph could connote hope.
light vs dark image
Photography may have different meanings to different people, however all photographs tell a moment in time of someones story. Photographers usually take picture to relate to themselves however people can also relate to them or manipulate the meaning to fit their own interpretation to their story. Photography can be used to guide us and communicate between each other in a form of art, in photography there is no wrong image or a bad image however there can be room for improvements.
Each photograph is different which makes it unique. An image can be fascinating and unusual which can cause confusion to people of the actual meaning, however this is what may intrigue people to the photograph and become interested. Images can reveal many secrets but can also keep them the photographer has the power what to show the audience, however there could be hidden meanings concealed into the photograph for people to discover. This is why photography can be confusing which therefore reinforces the quote “photographs confuse as much as fascinate, conceal as much as much as reveal, distract as much as compel. They are unpredictable communicators” but there is beauty within each photograph.
PHOTOGRAPHY EXAMPLES:
Yves Klein , Leap into the void
This image is fascinating yet confusing, the illusion of the falling man creates a sense of fear to the audience but also a sense of curiosity. Yves Klein was interested by the idea of levitation which I think is what inspired him to take this image. Klein took this image by taking two separate images which he then printed out together to create a seamless documentary photography. I believe the title also has a significance to this photograph “leap into the void” as the man may be leaping into the ‘void’. Furthermore I believe this image has a dark connotation as void usually is interpreted by dark, mysterious and dangerous.
The aperture controls the amount of light coming through the lens. It expands or shrinks in order to allow more or less light through the camera sensor.
The larger the aperture, the more light that will pass through. This results in a brighter photo. With a smaller aperture, less light will pass through the lens. Therefore the photo will be darker.
In simpler words, the aperture basically controls the brightness of a photograph. It is written as an f-number, these are called f-stops. The ‘f’ in f-stop stands for the focal length of the lens.
Larger (wide) apertures correspond with smaller f-numbers. E.g. f/4
Smaller (narrow) apertures correspond with larger f-numbers. E.g. f/16 or f/22
Larger f-stops create a narrow opening to let the light through. The camera needs to make up for the lack of light through this narrow opening by slowing the shutter to result in a well-exposed photograph.
Depth of field, also referred to as DOF, is the distance between the nearest and furthest parts of the photo that are in sharp focus.
A shallow depth of field means that only part of the image is in focus. Therefore, the background or foreground may be blurry. Shallow depth of field may be good for when capturing portraits, nature, or travel photography.
An example of a photograph that has a shallow depth of field
A deep depth of field means that a larger area of the photo is in focus so that more of the photo is sharp and clear. Deep depth of field may be good for when capturing landscapes.
An example of a photograph that has a deep depth of field
The aperture can affect depth of field. A wider aperture means you will capture less depth of field (shallow depth of field). Which means only the foreground will be sharp and clear. A smaller aperture will capture a deeper depth of field. Which means everything in the photo will be sharp.
Still life is a form of photography used for the description of inanimate small group of objects, in front of a camera. This genre gives the photographer more ideas in the arrangement of design elements within a composition compared to other photographic genres, such as landscape or portrait photography. The photographer has more control over the lighting and composition of the image.
Here are some examples of still life photography, in these images you can see the background of most of the images are dark creating a narrow depth of field focusing on the objects carefully arranged.
History of Still life
What is Vanitas?
A still-life painting of a 17th-century Dutch genre containing symbols of death or change as a reminder of their inevitability.
Some of the standard elements in vanitas paintings, usually reflecting wealth and death, include books, playing cards, maps, wilting flowers, fruit, goblets of wine, jewellery, hourglasses, skulls, and recently extinguished candles. The way the objects are placed create an ominous feel to the photographs.
What is Memento Mori?
Memento Mori is an object kept as a reminder of the inevitability of death, such as a skull. A basic memento mori painting would be a portrait with a skull but other symbols commonly found are hour glasses or clocks, extinguished or guttering candles, fruit, and flowers. These kinds of images are said to breath more life into our lives.
What kind of metaphors and symbols are used in still life and why?
After importing my images from my documents I flagged the pictures that I would like to use for my editing.
My selected images, after flagging them and deciding which images I wanted to keep (p to keep and x to delete).
We compared two images using compare view. You can zoom in and out using the magnifying glass. Helping to choose the better image.
Experimenting by using develop mode, editing my image changing the exposure and contrast.
Using other tools on the develop mode, on a different lighted image.
This shows me exporting my edited image and editing the image size to save into my folder. Creating a folder in my media drive where all of my edited images will be saved to.
Photography has been changing and developing meaning it’s original purpose was mutated and photography started to be used for many different purposes. Photographs are art and can be interpreted in many different ways, for some they will carry a meaning which would be personal for each individual, the meaning behind them would not be straight forward.
Ted Gore Location: USA
There are said to be two types of the way photography is shared, through conventions and through words, words in magazines or books, where a photo is convenient in order to help the readers imagination. Personally I believe there is one type of photography used for art purposes, where it is unique and does not follow a specific format and is limitless, But also there is another form of photography where photographs are used for more convenient purposes where the mind simply cannot remember information, or cant share it in any other ways to others.
CHRONICLES. Events throughout the People Power Revolution in 1986 grace the front page of newspapers. PHOTO FROM THE BOOK BAYAN KO!
What i believe is very important about photography is that no matter how it is used or the meaning behind it or its real purpose, photographs capture a specific moment in an individuals life and are amazing storytellers. What is fascinating is how a single moment can be captured through one photograph, however that specific moment can not be relived again and all that is left of it is the photograph. This is why photography is so important to people. As not only people can embrace the creativity, on top of that, photography can connect people.
A single image can be shared with others infinite amounts of times, through photography people can communicate, almost giving photography its own language. Millions of different people can be looking at one image and understand it, no matter where they are from or what language they speak, that one image will carry a message but each individual is going to have their own meaning of the photograph. I found a quote suggesting this “the reader/viewer was free to make her own connections”.
“Photographs confuse as much as fascinate, conceal as much as reveal, distract as much as compel. They are unpredictable communicators.” “confuse as much as fascinate” I think what this means is the a photograph can be interpreted as a piece that boggles the mind and can move a person emotionally. A photograph can also be secretive but still signify an open book, where any photograph could uncover a specific meaning it is hiding or revealing. This also means the meaning of it can be easy to spot but not always and not for everyone. The meaning of “distract as much as compel” to me means that in the photograph, depending on what is being photographed or the scenery “distract” in the photo can be serene but turbulent, this again means a photograph can really affect a persons feelings.
Stanley Forman’s famous photo Woman Falling From Fire Escape |1975
Harry Shunk and Janos Kender, Yves Klein leap into the void 1960
Leap into the void , was taken in 1960 of a performance by Yves Klein, which gained popularity over the interesting act Klein did. because of the times it was taken , it was so fascinating as photomontages or photo editing existed. this image was taken in 2 parts. where one was taken of Klein jumping off the roof and others catching him when he falls, and another of the scenery with the bicycle in the background, then these 2 pictures have been put together to form a shocking photograph.
The statement said above and my interpretation of it: “Photographs confuse as much as fascinate, conceal as much as reveal, distract as much as compel. They are unpredictable communicators.” can be interpreted to this specific photograph. this image is very fascinating yet confusing as an act of jumping of a roof for artistic purpose can be confusing to some but can fascinate others as it shows he is willing to do this for art and is passionate for the story he is trying to tell. Regarding my point earlier, this image will have a different meaning to each individual and peoples views and opinions of the photograph will differ based on their culture, religion, place of living, gender etc. What the photo means to me is that the title ” leap into the void” suggests some suffering, almost giving up, to the point you are so helpless you are willing to jump into nothing, or empty space, which he demonstrates by not only jumping passionately, showing he wants this, also by choosing the location which is almost an empty street. By having no cars or no people in the picture except one cyclist may suggest he has nobody that cares about him, extending that idea, the cyclist ,cycling away from him may mean this carelessness from the public. This means he isn’t trying to gain attention, he is taking this “leap” because he wants to, maybe to find a meaning of something or find a solution specific to him.
Still life derives from the Dutch word stilleven, coined in the 17th century when paintings of objects enjoyed immense popularity throughout Europe. The motivation for this term came as artists created compositions of greater complexity, bringing together a wider variety of objects to communicate allegorical meanings.
It is defined as a work of art that shows inanimate objects from the natural or man-made world. This would include things such as fruit, flowers, dead game, and vessels like baskets. Most still life’s can be placed into one of four categories: flowers, banquet or breakfast, animal(s), and symbolic.
Flowers will often either have many flowers or a singular one. Nearly all of these pictures will be in colour and will often symbolise innocence.
Banquet still life shows a variety of food, usually showcasing luxurious backgrounds/ settings.
Animals in still life are usually depicted doing something or having a full background.
Symbolic still life often shows skulls and other meaningful items so get a message across to the viewer.
Examples of still life in paintings
Flowers
Banquet
Animals
Symbolic
Examples of still life in photography
Flower
Banquet
Animal
Symbolic
A time line of still life
Still life is generally considered to be started with the work by an Italian painter named Jacopo de’Barbari who is said to of “painted the golden age of still-life”.
Early still-life paintings, particularly before 1700, often contained religious and allegorical symbolism relating to the objects depicted in them.
What is Vanitas?
Vanitas is a still-life painting of a 17th-century Dutch genre containing symbols of death or change as a reminder of their inevitability.
A vanitas painting will contain collections of objects symbolic of death and the transience and vanity of earthly achievements and pleasures; it encourages the viewer to consider mortality and to repent.
What is Memento Mori?
Memento mori is an artistic or symbolic trope acting as a reminder of the inevitability of death. The concept has its roots in the philosophers of classical antiquity and Christianity, and appeared in funerary art and architecture from the medieval period on wards.
The point of Memento Mori isn’t to be morbid or promote fear, but to inspire, motivate and clarify.
